• Login
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • UA Graduate and Undergraduate Research
    • UA Theses and Dissertations
    • Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   Home
    • UA Graduate and Undergraduate Research
    • UA Theses and Dissertations
    • Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

    All of UA Campus RepositoryCommunitiesTitleAuthorsIssue DateSubmit DateSubjectsPublisherJournalThis CollectionTitleAuthorsIssue DateSubmit DateSubjectsPublisherJournal

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    About

    AboutUA Faculty PublicationsUA DissertationsUA Master's ThesesUA Honors ThesesUA PressUA YearbooksUA CatalogsUA Libraries

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    The Occurrence and Control of Pathogens on Fomites

    • CSV
    • RefMan
    • EndNote
    • BibTex
    • RefWorks
    Thumbnail
    Name:
    azu_etd_12706_sip1_m.pdf
    Size:
    827.6Kb
    Format:
    PDF
    Download
    Author
    Sexton, Jonathan D.
    Issue Date
    2013
    Keywords
    fomites
    hospital
    influenza
    mold
    mrsa
    Soil, Water & Environmental Science
    disinfection
    Advisor
    Gerba, Charles P.
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Publisher
    The University of Arizona.
    Rights
    Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
    Embargo
    Release 06-Jun-2014
    Abstract
    Microbes survive for an extended period of time on fomites. With new strains of pathogens constantly emerging, it is important to understand their survival and spread and to evaluate the efficiency of new disinfection methods. The purpose of this study was to determine the occurrence of pathogens on fomites, and evaluate different disinfection methods (household bleach and steam vapor). Fomites were sampled in a variety of environments for the presence of pathogens including methicillin intermediate- and resistant- Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile, Penecillium brevi-compactum, Alternaria alternata and novel H1N1 influenza A. Samples were assayed using both cultural and genetic techniques to determine the microbial occurrence. In disinfection studies, samples were collected before and after disinfectant application. Steam vapor was effective at reducing microbial occurrence by>90% with a minimal contact time of 10-20 seconds on hospital fomites. The material and shape of the surface had an effect on the reduction rate, due to access of the disinfecting agent. In addition, low levels of initial contamination limited the reduction rate. Many surfaces had a starting contamination level of less than 3 log10 and after disinfection the contamination levels, in 69% of the samples, were at or near the limit of detection. This suggests a higher reduction is feasible. Household bleach reduced the presence of mold spores and mycelium by >99% on gypsum-wall board. Reduction rates were influenced by the growth stage of mold, with the mycelium requiring additional disinfectant application to achieve the 99% reduction rate. Novel H1N1 influenza A was not recovered on any surfaces in day care facilities and elementary schools. This is consistent with previous studies looking at H1N1 influenza occurrence in similar environments, though it is different from H3N2 influenza A studies. Survival differences among varying influenza strains are expected to have an impact on pathogen spread and human health risks. Differences can be quantitatively evaluated and used to develop more advanced risk assessment models. Steam vapor and household bleach are effective at reducing risks of pathogens in the environment and are critical interventions in an overall strategy to minimize exposure and prevent disease.
    Type
    text
    Electronic Dissertation
    Degree Name
    Ph.D.
    Degree Level
    doctoral
    Degree Program
    Graduate College
    Soil, Water and Environmental Science
    Degree Grantor
    University of Arizona
    Collections
    Dissertations

    entitlement

     
    The University of Arizona Libraries | 1510 E. University Blvd. | Tucson, AZ 85721-0055
    Tel 520-621-6442 | repository@u.library.arizona.edu
    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2017  DuraSpace
    Quick Guide | Contact Us | Send Feedback
    Open Repository is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV
     

    Export search results

    The export option will allow you to export the current search results of the entered query to a file. Different formats are available for download. To export the items, click on the button corresponding with the preferred download format.

    By default, clicking on the export buttons will result in a download of the allowed maximum amount of items.

    To select a subset of the search results, click "Selective Export" button and make a selection of the items you want to export. The amount of items that can be exported at once is similarly restricted as the full export.

    After making a selection, click one of the export format buttons. The amount of items that will be exported is indicated in the bubble next to export format.