Survival of Microorganisms on Inanimate Surfaces - Use of Biocidal Surfaces for Reduction of Healthcare Acquired Infections - page 7

Chapter 2
Survival of Microorganisms on Inanimate
Surfaces

Axel Kramer and Ojan Assadian

Contents
2.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................... 8

2.2 The Role of Surfaces in the Transmission of Pathogenic Microorganisms Causing
Healthcare-Acquired Infections (HAI) ..................................................... 9
2.3 Persistence of Microorganisms on Inanimate Surfaces . .................................. 10
2.3.1 Persistence of Bacteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3.2 Persistence of Viruses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3.3 Persistence of Fungi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.3.4 Persistence of Other Pathogenic Microorganisms . ................................ 15
2.3.5 Factors Influencing the Survival of Microorganisms in the Environment ....... 15
2.3.6 Limitations on the Knowledge of Microbial Survival on Inanimate Surfaces . . . 17
2.4 Mechanisms of Transmission from Inanimate Surfaces to Susceptible Patients
and Consequences Thereof . . . .............................................................. 18
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Abstract In healthcare settings microbial contaminated surfaces play an important
role in indirect transmission of infection. Especially surfaces close to the patients'
environment may be touched at high frequencies, allowing transmission from
animated sources to others via contaminated inanimate surfaces.
Therefore, the knowledge on the survival of bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoa
on surfaces, and hence, in a broader sense, in the human environment, is important
for implementing tactics for prevention of Healthcare-acquired Infections (HAI).