The 40-80 nt region in the 5'-NCR of genome is a critical target for inactivating poliovirus by chlorine dioxide

Influence of Amino Acid Substitutions in Capsid Proteins of Coxsackievirus B5 on Free Chlorine and Thermal Inactivation

The sensitivity of enteroviruses to disinfectants varies among genetically similar variants and coincides with amino acid changes in capsid proteins, although the effect of individual substitutions remains unknown. Here, we employed reverse genetics to investigate how amino acid substitutions in coxsackievirus B5 (CVB5) capsid proteins affect the virus' sensitivity to free chlorine and heat treatment. Of ten amino acid changes observed in CVB5 variants with free chlorine resistance, none significantly reduced the chlorine sensitivity, indicating a minor role of the capsid composition in chlorine sensitivity of CVB5. Conversely, a subset of these amino acid changes located at the C-terminal region of viral protein 1 led to reduced heat sensitivity. Cryo-electron microscopy revealed that these changes affect the assembly of intermediate viral states (altered and empty particles), suggesting that the mechanism for reduced heat sensitivity could be related to improved molecular packing of CVB5, resulting in greater stability or altered dynamics of virus uncoating during infection.

Evaluation of surface disinfection methods to inactivate the beta coronavirus Murine Hepatitis Virus

The list of EPA-approved disinfectants for coronavirus features many products for use on hard, non-porous materials. There are significantly fewer products registered for use on porous materials. Further, many common, high-touch surfaces fall in between non-porous materials such as glass and porous materials such as soft fabrics. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of selected commercially available disinfectant products against coronaviruses on common, high-touch surfaces. Four disinfectants (Clorox Total 360, Bleach solution, Vital Oxide, and Peroxide Multi-Surface Cleaner) were evaluated against Murine Hepatitis Virus A59 (MHV) as a surrogate coronavirus for SARS-CoV-2. MHV in cell culture medium was inoculated onto four materials: stainless steel, latex-painted drywall tape, Styrene Butadiene rubber (rubber), and bus seat fabric. Immediately (T0) or 2-hr (T2) post-inoculation, disinfectants were applied by trigger-pull or electrostatic sprayer and either held for recommended contact times (Spray only) or immediately wiped (Spray and Wipe). Recovered infectious MHV was quantified by median tissue culture infectious dose assay. Bleach solution, Clorox Total 360, and Vital Oxide were all effective (>3-log₁₀ reduction or complete kill of infectious virus) with both the Spray Only and Spray and Wipe methods on stainless steel, rubber, and painted drywall tape when used at recommended contact times at both T0 and T2 hr. Multi-Surface Cleaner unexpectedly showed limited efficacy against MHV on stainless steel within the recommended contact time; however, it showed increased (2.3 times greater efficacy) when used in the Spray and Wipe method compared to Spray Only. The only products to achieve a 3-log₁₀ reduction on fabric were Vital Oxide and Clorox Total 360; however, the efficacy of Vital Oxide against MHV on fabric was reduced to below 3-log₁₀ when applied by an electrostatic sprayer compared to a trigger-pull sprayer. This study highlights the importance of considering the material, product, and application method when developing a disinfection strategy for coronaviruses on high-touch surfaces.

Sources, fates and treatment strategies of typical viruses in urban sewage collection/treatment systems: A review

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) throughout the world has severely threatened the global economy and public health. Due to receiving severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from a wide variety of sources (e.g., households, hospitals, slaughterhouses), urban sewage treatment systems are regarded as an important path for the transmission of waterborne viruses. This review presents a quantitative profile of the concentration distribution of typical viruses within wastewater collection systems and evaluates the influence of different characteristics of sewer systems on virus species and concentration. Then, the efficiencies and mechanisms of virus removal in the units of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are summarized and compared, among which the inactivation efficiencies of typical viruses by typical disinfection approaches under varied operational conditions are elucidated. Subsequently, the occurrence and removal of viruses in treated effluent reuse and desalination, as well as that in sewage sludge treatment, are discussed. Potential dissemination of viruses is emphasized by occurrence via aerosolization from toilets, the collection system and WWTP aeration, which might have a vital role in the transmission and spread of viruses. Finally, the frequency and concentration of viruses in reclaimed water, the probability of infection are also reviewed for discussing the potential health risks.

Kinetics and Mechanisms of Virus Inactivation by Chlorine Dioxide in Water Treatment: A Review

Chlorine dioxide (ClO₂), an alternative disinfectant to chlorine, has been widely applied in water and wastewater disinfection. This paper aims at presenting an overview of the inactivation kinetics and mechanisms of ClO₂ with viruses. The inactivation efficiencies vary greatly among different virus species. The inactivation rates for different serotypes within a family of viruses can differ by over 284%. Generally, to achieve a 4-log removal, the exposure doses, also being referred to as Ct values (mutiplying the concentration of ClO₂ and contact time) vary in the range of 0.06-10 mg L^-1 min. Inactivation kinetics of viruses show two phases: an initial rapid inactivation phase followed by a tailing phase. Inactivation rates of viruses increase as pH or temperature increases, but show different trends with increasing concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Both damages in viral proteins and in the 5' noncoding region within the genome contribute to virus inactivation upon ClO₂ disinfection.

Irrigating Lettuce with Wastewater Effluent: Does Disinfection with Chlorine Dioxide Inactivate Viruses?

Reclaimed water obtained from urban wastewater is currently being used as irrigation water in water-scarce regions in Spain. However, wastewater can contain enteric viruses that water reclamation treatment cannot remove or inactivate completely. In the present study, greenhouse-grown baby lettuce ( L.) was irrigated with secondary treatment effluent from a wastewater treatment plant untreated and treated using chlorine dioxide (ClO). The effect of ClO treatment on the physicochemical characteristics and the presence of enteric viruses in irrigation water and lettuce was assessed. The presence of human noroviruses genogroups I and II (NoV GI and NoV GII), and human astroviruses (HAstV), was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Additionally, to check for the loss of infectivity induced by the disinfection treatment, positive samples were re-analyzed after pretreatment with the intercalating dye PMAxx before RNA extraction and RT-qPCR. There were no significant differences in the proportion of positive samples and the concentration of enteric viruses between treated and untreated reclaimed water without PMAxx pretreatment ( > 0.05). A significantly lower concentration of NoV GI was detected in ClO-treated water when samples were pretreated with PMAxx ( < 0.05), indicating that inactivation was due to the disinfection treatment. Laboratory-scale validation tests indicated the suitability of PMAxx-RT-qPCR for discrimination between potentially infectious and ClO-damaged viruses. Although the applied ClO treatment was not able to significantly reduce the enteric virus load of the secondary effluent from the wastewater treatment plant, none of the lettuce samples analyzed ( = 36) was positive for the presence of NoV or HAstV.

Cross-Resistance of UV- or Chlorine Dioxide-Resistant Echovirus 11 to Other Disinfectants

The emergence of waterborne viruses with resistance to disinfection has been demonstrated in the laboratory and in the environment. Yet, the implications of such resistance for virus control remain obscure. In this study we investigate if viruses with resistance to a given disinfection method exhibit cross-resistance to other disinfectants. Chlorine dioxide (ClO₂)- or UV-resistant populations of echovirus 11 were exposed to five inactivating treatments (free chlorine, ClO₂, UV radiation, sunlight, and heat), and the extent of cross-resistance was determined. The ClO₂-resistant population exhibited cross-resistance to free chlorine, but to none of the other inactivating treatments tested. We furthermore demonstrated that ClO₂ and free chlorine act by a similar mechanism, in that they mainly inhibit the binding of echovirus 11 to its host cell. As such, viruses with host binding mechanisms that can withstand ClO₂ treatment were also better able to withstand oxidation by free chlorine. Conversely, the UV-resistant population was not significantly cross-resistant to any other disinfection treatment. Overall, our results indicate that viruses with resistance to multiple disinfectants exist, but that they can be controlled by inactivating methods that operate by a distinctly different mechanism. We therefore suggest to utilize two disinfection barriers that act by different mechanisms in order to control disinfection-resistant viruses.

Resistance of Echovirus 11 to ClO2 Is Associated with Enhanced Host Receptor Use, Altered Entry Routes, and High Fitness

Waterborne viruses can exhibit resistance to common water disinfectants, yet the mechanisms that allow them to tolerate disinfection are poorly understood. Here, we generated echovirus 11 (E11) with resistance to chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) by experimental evolution, and we assessed the associated genotypic and phenotypic traits. ClO₂ resistance emerged after E11 populations were repeatedly reduced (either by ClO₂-exposure or by dilution) and then regrown in cell culture. The resistance was linked to an improved capacity of E11 to bind to its host cells, which was further attributed to two potential causes: first, the resistant E11 populations possessed mutations that caused amino acid substitutions from ClO₂-labile to ClO₂-stable residues in the viral proteins, which likely increased the chemical stability of the capsid toward ClO₂. Second, resistant E11 mutants exhibited the capacity to utilize alternative cell receptors for host binding. Interestingly, the emergence of ClO₂ resistance resulted in an enhanced replicative fitness compared to the less resistant starting population. Overall this study contributes to a better understanding of the mechanism underlying disinfection resistance in waterborne viruses, and processes that drive resistance development.

Inactivation Kinetics and Mechanism of a Human Norovirus Surrogate on Stainless Steel Coupons via Chlorine Dioxide Gas

Acute gastroenteritis caused by human norovirus is a significant public health issue. Fresh produce and seafood are examples of high-risk foods associated with norovirus outbreaks. Food contact surfaces also have the potential to harbor noroviruses if exposed to fecal contamination, aerosolized vomitus, or infected food handlers. Currently, there is no effective measure to decontaminate norovirus on food contact surfaces. Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas is a strong oxidizer and is used as a decontaminating agent in food processing plants. The objective of this study was to determine the kinetics and mechanism of ClO2 gas inactivation of a norovirus surrogate, murine norovirus 1 (MNV-1), on stainless steel (SS) coupons. MNV-1 was inoculated on SS coupons at the concentration of 10(7) PFU/coupon. The samples were treated with ClO2 gas at 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 4 mg/liter for up to 5 min at 25°C and a relative humidity of 85%, and virus survival was determined by plaque assay. Treatment of the SS coupons with ClO2 gas at 2 mg/liter for 5 min and 2.5 mg/liter for 2 min resulted in at least a 3-log reduction in MNV-1, while no infectious virus was recovered at a concentration of 4 mg/liter even within 1 min of treatment. Furthermore, it was found that the mechanism of ClO2 gas inactivation included degradation of viral protein, disruption of viral structure, and degradation of viral genomic RNA. In conclusion, treatment with ClO2 gas can serve as an effective method to inactivate a human norovirus surrogate on SS contact surfaces.

Host-virus interaction: the antiviral defense function of small interfering RNAs can be enhanced by host microRNA-7 in vitro

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) directed against poliovirus (PV) and other viruses effectively inhibit viral replication and have been developed as antiviral agents. Here, we demonstrate that a specific siRNA targeting the region between nucleotides 100–125 (siRNA-100) from the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) of PV plays a critical role in inhibiting PV replication. Our data demonstrate that siRNA-100 treatment can greatly reduce PV titers, resulting in up-regulation of host microRNA-7 (miR-7), which in turn, leads to enhance inhibition of PV infection further. Moreover, our results suggest that siRNA-100 can also impair the spread of PV to uninfected cells by increasing host resistance to PV, resulting in decreasing necrosis and cytopathic effects (CPE) levels, as well as prolonging the survival of infected cells. Indeed, the active antiviral effect of siRNA-100 was potentially supplemented by the activity of miR-7, and both of them can serve as stabilizing factors for maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Results of this study identify a molecular mechanism of RNAi for antiviral defense, and extend our knowledge of the complex interplay between host and PV, which will provide a basis for the development of effective RNAi-based therapies designed to inhibit PV replication and protect host cells.

Low pH inactivation for xenotropic gamma retrovirus in recombinant human TNF-α receptor immunoglobulin G and mechanism of inactivation

CHO-derived recombinant proteins for human therapeutic are used commonly. There are noninfectious endogenous retroviruses in CHO cells. Validation study for inactivation process is required. Murine xenotropic gamma retrovirus (X-MulV) is a model virus in validation study. In our previous study, optimum conditions for X-MulV inactivation were sifted. In this study, we performed a further research on low pH inactivation for evaluation of X-MulV clearance in manufacturing of recombinant human TNF-α receptor immunoglobulin G fusion proteins (rhTNF-α) for injection. Cell-based infectivity assay was used for the evaluation of X-MulV clearance. RhTNF-α were spiked with X-MulV and were inactivated at pH 3.60 ∼ 3.90, 25 ± 2 °C, and 0 ∼ 240 min, respectively. Samples incubated at the conditions for 15 ∼ 180 min were not inactivated effectively. For 4 h incubation, log10 reductions were achieved 5.0 log10. Biological activity of rhTNF-α incubated at pH 3.60, 25 °C for 4 h, which was assayed on murine L929 fibroblasts cells, was not affected by low pH. Env gene of X-MulV, which was detected by conventional PCR method for the first time, was not detected after incubation at pH 3.60, and it may be the mechanism of low pH inactivation.

Effects of chlorine and chlorine dioxide on human rotavirus infectivity and genome stability

Despite the health risks posed by waterborne human rotavirus (HRV), little information is available concerning the effectiveness of chlorine or chlorine dioxide (ClO2), two common disinfectants of public water sources, against HRV and their effects on its genome remain poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of chlorine and ClO2 on purified HRV by using cell culture and RT-PCR to assess virus infectivity and genetic integrity, respectively. The disinfection efficacy of ClO2 was found to be higher than that of chlorine. According to the efficiency factor Hom model, Ct value (mg/L min) ranges required for a 4-log reduction of HRV at 20 °C by chlorine and ClO2 were 5.55-5.59 and 1.21-2.47 mg/L min, respectively. Detection of the 11 HRV genome segments revealed that damage to the 1227-2354 bp of the VP4 gene was associated with the disappearance of viral infectivity by chlorine. However, no complete accordance between culturing and RT-PCR assays was observed after treatment of HRV with ClO2. These results collectively indicate that the current practice of chlorine disinfection may be inadequate to manage the risk of waterborne HRV infection, and offer the potential to monitor the infectivity of HRV adapting PCR-based protocols in chlorine disinfection.

Chlorine dioxide inactivation of enterovirus 71 in water and its impact on genomic targets

To control the waterborne transmission of enterovirus 71(EV71), which is associated with hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD), it is essential to know the inactivation effectiveness of disinfectants on EV71 in water. In this article, we present a comparative analysis of the effects on EV71 following exposure to chlorine dioxide (ClO2) under different doses, pH, and temperature conditions. We show that the EV71 exhibited strong resistance to ClO2 (more than the MS2 standard) and that Ct value ranges required for a 4-log reduction of EV71 in buffered, disinfectant demand-free water at pH 7.2 and 20 °C by ClO2 were 4.24-6.62 mg/L·min according to the efficiency factor Hom model. ClO2 inactivation of the virus was temperature- and pH-dependent. The virucidal efficiency was higher at pH 8.2 than at pH 5.6 and pH 7.2 and higher at 36 °C than at 4 and 20 °C. In addition, we also observed the impact of ClO2 on the entire viral genome using RT-PCR, which indicated that the 5' noncoding region (5'-NCR) within the EV71 genome, specifically the 1-118 nt region, was the most easily damaged by ClO2 and correlated with viral infectivity. Our study has not only provided guidelines for EV71 disinfection strategies of waste and drinking water, but also confirmed the importance of the 5'-NCR for EV71 infectivity and may demonstrate a general inactivation by ClO2 of enteric virus by damaging the 5'-NCR. Furthermore, 5'-NCR can be used as a target region for PCR to investigate infectious virus contamination in environmental water and evaluate the inactivation effects of ClO2.