Dependence of aerosol-borne influenza A virus infectivity on relative humidity and aerosol composition

Motos, Ghislain; Schaub, Aline; David, Shannon C.; Costa, Laura; Terrettaz, Céline; Kaltsonoudis, Christos; Glas, Irina; Klein, Liviana K.; Bluvshtein, Nir; Luo, Beiping; Violaki, Kalliopi; Pohl, Marie O.; Hugentobler, Walter; Krieger, Ulrich K.; Pandis, Spyros N.; Stertz, Silke; Peter, Thomas; Kohn, Tamar; Nenes, Athanasios

doi:10.1101/2024.05.28.596202

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 60 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Inactivation of IAV in levitated aerosol particles was determined by nebulizing the virus in a 1.6 m 3 polytetrafluoroethylene chamber suspended inside a large biosafety cabinet. This aerosol chamber is termed the Laboratory of Atmospheric Processes and their Impacts - Bioaerosol Research & Environmental Airborne Transmission Hub, or LAPI BREATH, and is described in reference ( 48 ). Dry purified air filtered with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter and activated carbon filter was used to flush this aerosol chamber prior to experiments.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stability of influenza A virus in droplets and aerosols is heightened by the presence of commensal respiratory bacteria

David,

Schaub,

Terrettaz

et al. 2024

J Virol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aerosol transmission remains a major challenge for control of respiratory viruses, particularly those causing recurrent epidemics, like influenza A virus (IAV). These viruses are rarely expelled alone, but instead are embedded in a consortium of microorganisms that populate the respiratory tract. The impact of microbial communities and inter-pathogen interactions upon stability of transmitted viruses is well-characterized for enteric pathogens, but is under-studied in the respiratory niche. Here, we assessed whether the presence of five different species of commensal respiratory bacteria could influence the persistence of IAV within phosphate-buffered saline and artificial saliva droplets deposited on surfaces at typical indoor air humidity, and within airborne aerosol particles. In droplets, presence of individual species or a mixed bacterial community resulted in 10- to 100-fold more infectious IAV remaining after 1 h, due to bacterial-mediated flattening of drying droplets and early efflorescence. Even when no efflorescence occurred at high humidity or the bacteria-induced changes in droplet morphology were abolished by aerosolization instead of deposition on a well plate, the bacteria remained protective. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae were the most stabilizing compared to other commensals at equivalent density, indicating the composition of an individual’s respiratory microbiota is a previously unconsidered factor influencing expelled virus persistence. IMPORTANCE It is known that respiratory infections such as coronavirus disease 2019 and influenza are transmitted by release of virus-containing aerosols and larger droplets by an infected host. The survival time of viruses expelled into the environment can vary depending on temperature, room air humidity, UV exposure, air composition, and suspending fluid. However, few studies consider the fact that respiratory viruses are not alone in the respiratory tract—we are constantly colonized by a plethora of bacteria in our noses, mouth, and lower respiratory system. In the gut, enteric viruses are known to be stabilized against inactivation and environmental decay by gut bacteria. Despite the presence of a similarly complex bacterial microbiota in the respiratory tract, few studies have investigated whether viral stabilization could occur in this niche. Here, we address this question by investigating influenza A virus stabilization by a range of commensal bacteria in systems representing respiratory aerosols and droplets.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%