DS 33 - A Nano-enabled Persistent Soft Surface Disinfectant to Reduce the Growth and Spread of Pathogens Responsible for Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs)

Background: Studies have shown that hospital curtains serve as a reservoir for some of the most concerning pathogens in clinical settings, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Current disinfection approaches require daily, laborious treatment of curtains, and these approaches have not shown efficacy against viral threats. We set out to study whether a biosafe, nano-enabled, persistent film applied to hospital curtains could reduce pathogenic bacterial (MRSA) and viral (rhinovirus, parainfluenza) loads on curtains.

Methods: Curtain coupons were treated with a non-antimicrobial polymer with 0.01 weight% concentration of metal-mediated cerium-oxide nanoparticles and were challenged in triplicate with MRSA, rhinovirus and parainfluenza. Results were evaluated against number of remaining colony forming units (CFU) of MRSA and infectious units for viruses, compared to non-treated curtains after 2 hours. Challenged and control curtains were evaluated at the 2-hour mark for surviving MRSA and infectious virus by placing full coupon in appropriate media, vortexing the volume to remove all pathogens, and then plating (MRSA) or using an infectivity assay (virus) for quantitative analysis.

Results: Treated and untreated curtains were challenged in triplicate with starting inoculum of 10^8 CFU for MRSA and >10^5 viral titer for viruses and were evaluated by the 2-hour mark for surviving pathogens. Treated curtains showed no surviving MRSA and no infectious virus remaining. Control curtains showed a high remaining infectious load of all challenged pathogens (10^7 CFU for MRSA, 10^4.5 for rhinovirus, and 10^2.5 for parainfluenza).

Conclusions: This study found that a persistent, bio-safe and nano-enabled polymer film, applied to hospital curtains, eradiated concerning bacterial and viral loads within 2 hours of contact with the curtain. Our results indicate that curtains treated with a persistent non-antimicrobial polymer with 0.01 weight% concentration of specially engineered cerium-oxide nanoparticles can have a significant impact in reducing the pathogenic burden of hospital curtains as a source point for potential HAIs.