New Developments in Virus Detection and Disinfection in the Environment
A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Public Health Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 467
Special Issue Editors
Interests: virus; bacteria; environmental monitoring; sanitation; disinfection efficacy; antimicrobials
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Viruses, especially foodborne, airborne, and waterborne viruses, are inherently highly contagious and pose significant public health challenges. The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2019, the ongoing challenge of human norovirus as a leading foodborne pathogen, and recurrent outbreaks of the H1N1 influenza virus have highlighted the critical importance of environmental virus detection and disinfection, particularly considering the limited effectiveness of vaccines against certain viral strains.
Unlike bacteria, which can be enriched in appropriate media, detecting viruses in environmental samples is notably challenging. This difficulty stems from their low concentrations and the necessity for concentration techniques and special recovery to ensure accurate detection. Moreover, many commonly used sanitizers or disinfectants exhibit limited efficacy against non-enveloped viruses such as human norovirus and hepatitis A virus. For instance, studies have shown that both viruses demonstrate resistance to several classes of commercial disinfectants, necessitating higher concentrations and longer contact times for effective inactivation.
The complexity of environmental conditions—including factors such as surface materials and conditions, humidity, and temperature—adds further challenges to effective viral control. These variables can affect both the persistence of viruses on surfaces and the efficacy of antimicrobial agents. Therefore, there is a critical and urgent need to deepen our understanding of viral persistence and decontamination, and to explore innovative technologies for viral inactivation. Advancing research in this area is essential to mitigate the spread of highly contagious viruses in diverse settings, including long-term care facilities, medical centers, and food service environments, and to strengthening public health protection.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Jinge Huang
Guest Editor Assistant
Prof. Dr. Xiuping Jiang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- virus
- environmental surface
- air
- water
- detection
- disinfection
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