Inactivation of HCV and HIV by microwave: A novel approach for prevention of virus transmission among people who inject drugs: A novel approach for prevention of virus transmission among people who inject drugs

Anindya Siddharta, Stephanie Pfaender, Angelina Malassa, Juliane Doerrbecker, A. Anggakusuma, Michael Engelmann, Boya Nugraha, Joerg Steinmann, Daniel Todt, Florian W.R. Vondran, Pedro Mateu-Gelabert, Christine Goffinet, Eike Steinmann

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) transmissions among people who inject drugs (PWID) continue to pose a challenging global health problem. Here, we aimed to analyse a universally applicable inactivation procedure, namely microwave irradiation, as a safe and effective method to reduce the risk of viral transmission. The exposure of HCV from different genotypes to microwave irradiation resulted in a significant reduction of viral infectivity. Furthermore, microwave irradiation reduced viral infectivity of HIV-1 and of HCV/HIV-1 suspensions indicating that this inactivation may be effective at preventing co-infections. To translate microwave irradiation as prevention method to used drug preparation equipment, we could further show that HCV as well as HIV-1 infectivity could be abrogated in syringes and filters. This study demonstrates the power of microwave irradiation for the reduction of viral transmission and establishment of this safety strategy could help reduce the transmission of blood-borne viruses.
Original languageEnglish
Article number36619
JournalScientific Reports
Volume6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Nov 2016
Externally publishedYes

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