Virucidal activity of a new hand disinfectant with reduced ethanol content: comparison with other alcohol-based formulations

• Published in: The Journal of hospital infection Vol. 62; no. 1; pp. 98 - 106
• Main Authors: Kramer, A., Galabov, A.S., Sattar, S.A., Döhner, L., Pivert, A., Payan, C., Wolff, M.H., Yilmaz, A., Steinmann, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kent Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2006; Elsevier; The Hospital Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd
• Subjects: 1-Propanol - analysis; Adult; Animals; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antiseptics; Antiviral agents; Antiviral Agents - chemistry; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Butanols - analysis; Calicivirus, Feline - drug effects; Cats; Cattle; Cell Line; Disinfectants - chemistry; Disinfectants - pharmacology; Drug Synergism; Ethanol - analysis; Ethanol based hand rub; Feline calicivirus; Female; Fingerpad test; Fingers - virology; Hand Disinfection - methods; Humans; In vitro; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phosphoric Acids - analysis; Poliovirus; Poliovirus - drug effects; Propylene Glycol - analysis; Synergistic formulation; Virucidal activity; Viruses - drug effects; Virucidal activity; Synergistic formulation; Fingerpad test; In vitro; Ethanol based hand rub; Ethanol; Hand; Infection; Dosage form; Antiviral; Alcoholic solution; Disinfecting agent; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0195-6701; 1532-2939
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2005.06.020

A new formula with reduced ethanol content (55%) in combination with 10% propan-1-ol, 5.9% propan-1.2-diol, 5.7% butan-1.3-diol and 0.7% phosphoric acid exhibited a broad spectrum of virucidal activity. In quantitative suspension tests, with and without protein load, this formulation reduced the infectivity titre of seven enveloped (influenza A and B, herpes simplex 1 and 2, bovine corona, respiratory syncytial, vaccinia, hepatitis B, bovine viral diarrhoea) and four non-enveloped (hepatitis A, polio, rota, feline calici) viruses >10
3-fold within 30
s. In comparative testing, only 95% ethanol showed similar levels of activity.
In fingerpad tests, the formulation produced a log
10 reduction factor of the titre of poliovirus type 1 (Sabin) of 3.04 in 30
s compared with 1.32 by 60% propan-2-ol. Testing against feline calicivirus produced a log
10 reduction factor of 2.38 by the test formulation; in contrast, the log
10 reduction factors with 70% ethanol and 70% propan-1-ol were 0.68 and 0.70, respectively.