Survival of gonococci from urethral discharge on fomites

How long do nosocomial pathogens persist on inanimate surfaces? A systematic review

“…The type of test material does not reveal a consistent result. Although some investigators report that the type of material has no influence on the persistence [ 25 , 26 ], other authors described a longer persistence on plastic [ 27 , 28 ], and others yet see a survival advantage on steel [ 29 ].…”

Comparative surface-to-hand and fingertip-to-mouth transfer efficiency of gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and phage

“…Different survival rates may have influenced some of these results. Survival rates of bacteria have been shown to differ considerably (Perez et al . 1990; Snelling et al .…”

“…Different survival rates may have influenced some of these results. Survival rates of bacteria have been shown to differ considerably (Perez et al 1990;Snelling et al 1991;Falsey and Walsh 1993) and are even strain specific (Noskin et al 1995;Neely and Maley 2000). Viral survival is also highly variable (Hall et al 1980;Mbithi et al 1992;Adler 1996).…”

Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections in Children

“…13 Statements by the AAP and the CDC regarding sexual transmission of these organisms are supported by studies demonstrating a history of sexual contact among children diagnosed with these diseases and the lack of proof of transmission of these organisms to children from inanimate objects. 23,[26][27][28] An argument for nonsexual transmission of an STI can be made for individual cases on statistical grounds considering that the positive predictive value (PPV) for a diagnostic test (defined as the likelihood that a positive test result represents the presence of true disease in the person tested) is dependent on the prevalence of the condition in the population being tested. Reports in the medical literature of recovery of N. gonorrhoeae and T. vaginalis from inanimate objects following inoculation (30 minutes to 3 days, depending on the organism and object) are also cited, but this ignores the fact that infection appears to require introduction of organisms into an orifice.…”