Īiming to obtain a long-term effective cleaning procedure, stably reducing viral contamination without impacting on environmental pollution and AMR, we tested the antiviral properties of an eco-sustainable probiotic-based sanitation system (PCHS, Probiotic Cleaning Hygiene System), that was previously shown to prevent pathogen recontamination by stably remodulating the hospital microbiome. Furthermore, the human herpesvirus Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1 an enveloped double strand DNA virus), the causative agent of oral and genital herpes, can survive on dry inanimate surfaces from few hours to one week, and its transmission can cause a wide range of infections, from mild to life-threatening ones in immune-immature individuals or immune-compromised patients. Similarly, the influenza viruses (enveloped single stranded, negative sense RNA viruses), whose type A is the most virulent among the four influenza types, are able to retain infectivity up to 48 h on smooth surfaces, and the H5N1 strain can persist beyond 13 days on glass and steel at low relative humidity and temperature. Notably, until recently the virus component of the hospital microbiome was not considered in the monitoring strategies to counteract the onset of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in clinical settings, as it is done for bacterial and fungal ones, although a viral infectious risk exists even if minimal.Īmong the viruses that might be transmitted by the contaminated environment, human coronaviruses (enveloped single stranded, positive sense RNA viruses), which can cause mild to severe respiratory infections, can persist on different inanimate surface types, remaining infectious from 2 h up to 9 days at room temperature. Consistently with the evidence reporting virus presence and persistence in the hospital environment, showing a theoretical risk of virus transmission to hospitalized patients, the strategies aimed to prevent and control infections include environmental hygienization as part of this process. Parainfluenza viruses, hepatitis B and C viruses, and HIV-1 were also reported to persist on surfaces and fomites, which may represent possible virus reservoirs and transmission vectors to susceptible humans. Consequently, there is an urgent need for simple, efficient, low-impact, and possibly low-cost procedures to ensure a durable sanitization of treated surfaces, overcoming the side effects linked to chemical disinfection.īesides SARS-CoV-2, several enveloped viruses have been similarly shown to retain infectivity for long periods on hard surfaces, depending on virus type, surface characteristics, temperature, and humidity, including human coronaviruses, influenza viruses, and herpesviruses. Considering that AMR microbes can complicate the care of COVID-19 patients, and that AMR alone is already killing millions of people each year (over 37,000 people only in the European Union), it is apparent that a further spread of AMR might worsen the toll of future pandemics. Last, the massive use of disinfectants could negatively impact on urban environments and wildlife, as well as aquatic ecosystems, and several chemical compounds used for disinfection have been proven to select or induce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pathogens, including those known to have an important impact on COVID-19 clinical care. Furthermore, the excessive use of disinfectants may represent a threat for people and controversies exist about the need of disinfectants instead of cleansers, especially in low-risk healthcare or non-healthcare environments. Despite the initial rapid microbes inactivation, the sanitized surfaces may be rapidly recontaminated, potentially becoming a new transmission source. However, based on what has been observed on other microorganisms, the disinfectant action may be temporary and not able to prevent recontamination, which occurs continuously due to continuous spread by people present in the confined environment. Consistently with these data, WHO has proposed preventive measures, and high-level virucidal chemical disinfectants have been mandatorily introduced by regulatory bodies for surface cleaning of indoor environments, including healthcare and non-healthcare settings, as interim recommendations to combat the COVID-19 health emergency.