Chapter 2: The Science of Infection Control
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Adds up to virus
survival on object
Properties of the Virus
Type of virus and type of
medium it is suspended in
Properties of the Object
Porous or nonporous,
cleanliness,
moisture level
Conditions of the
Surrounding Environment
Humidity, pH, temperature,
amount of microbes present,
ultraviolet light exposure
How long do microbes live outside of the body?
Virus
Lifespan
Hepatitis A
Fecal–oral; can survive for 12 weeks or more depending on environmental
conditions. It is killed by heating to 185° F (85° C) for 1 minute.
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Hepatitis B
Bloodborne; can survive even in dried blood on environmental surfaces for at
least 7 days and still be infectious.
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Hepatitis C
Can survive outside the body at room temperature for at least 16 hours and up to
4 days.
8
HIV
Bloodborne; begins to die off almost immediately after it is outside of the body
(exposed to air), although some research reports 3 to 5 hours.
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Influenza A
Depending on the environmental conditions, avian influenza virus can survive for
24 to 48 hours, human influenza virus can survive between 9 and 18 hours, and
H1N1 can survive between 2 and 8 hours on surfaces.
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MRSA
Easily transmissible through a variety of environmental-surface-contact
pathways. Routes of exposure can include contact with mucous membranes and
open wounds, but the agent can also infect intact skin. These agents can live for
several hours to days on inanimate objects under certain environmental
conditions.
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What influences the survival of microbes outside of the body?
To understand the least-hazardous methods of infection control, it is essential to
understand the conditions that permit microbes to survive.
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