AAAR 32nd Annual Conference
September 30 - October 4, 2013
Oregon Convention Center
Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
In Situ Viral Aerosol Inactivation and Mechanisms by Microwave Irradiation
Yan Wu, MAOSHENG YAO, Peking University
Abstract Number: 630 Working Group: Homeland Security
Abstract Previously, we have studied the bacterial and fungal aerosol inactivation by direct microwave irradiation. Here, we further investigated its inactivation of airborne viruses. MS2 coliphage used as a human model virus were aerosolized and exposed to the direct microwave irradiation for ~ 2 min at three different power levels (700 , 29 385, 119 W). In addition to the survival rate, the viral RNA genes coding for viral envelope surface proteins with and without the microwave irradiation were also examined using PCR and gel electrophoresis.
Direct exposure of airborne MS2 virus to the microwave irradiation at 700 W for less than 2 min was shown to result in more than 90% inactivation efficiency, about 65% at medium power level (385 W), and 50% at the lowest level(199 W). Scanning electron images showed visible damages to the viral envelope after the exposure. Damages were also observed to the viral RNA genes coding for envelope surface proteins such as the A protein, the capsid protein, the lysis protein, and the replicase protein, among which the A protein gene was completely damaged. This study demonstrated that even without the filtration the direct microwave irradiation could also achieve rapid inactivation of viral aerosols.
Key words: MS2 virus, Microwave Irradiation, Protein Genes, Inactivation