Testing linen disinfection procedures in practice with phage‐charged‐bioindicators

Abstract

Purpose

Disinfecting laundry processes are essential to avoid contamination of laundering machines and linen during commercial laundry reprocessing in the health care sector. Recently a bacteriophage‐charged bioindicator has been developed using MS2 as surrogate virus for testing of low‐temperature disinfecting laundry processing on efficacy against viruses related to practice. This paper therefore aims to investigate application of MS2‐bioindicators in chemothermal processes under practical conditions (phase 2/step 2) and in practice (phase 3).

Design/methodology/approach

The experimental design was developed and modified according to the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM) Standard Methods for Testing Chemical Disinfection Processes. Tests under practical conditions were performed at 60°C and 70°C. Additional tests in tunnel washers were carried out at 60°C and 70°C. In all experiments validated disinfecting laundry processes, recommended for bactericidal and virucidal performance (categories A and B), were applied.

Findings

The results show a temperature‐dependent gradual efficacy against the test virus MS2 up to reduction values of more than 8 log₁₀‐steps. Therefore MS2‐bioindicators prove to be suitable as a tool to determine the performance of disinfection procedures against viruses in practice.

Originality/value

Phage‐charged bioindicators may be a tool to provide further insights into the reliability of antiviral laundry processes for health care quality management and for infection control.

Citation

Gerhardts, A., Mucha, H. and Höfer, D. (2012), "Testing linen disinfection procedures in practice with phage‐charged‐bioindicators", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 25 No. 6, pp. 519-531. https://doi.org/10.1108/09526861211246476