Shuming Duan, Xinsheng Zhao, Ruifu Wen, Jinjin Huang, Guanhua Pi,

Sxiang Zhang Shengli Bi, Li Ruan, Xiaoping Dong* and SARS research team

Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease control and Prevention, China

 The causal agent for SARS is considered as a novel coronavirus that has never been described both in human and animals previously. Using a SARS coronavirus strain CoV-P9, which was isolated from pharyngeal swab of a probable diagnosed SARS patient in Beijing, the stability in mimic human specimens, on the surfaces of commonly used materials in household and in mimic environment, as well as resistances to temperature and UV irradiation were analyzed. The cytopathic effect (CPE) was measured in cell line Vero-E6 30 h postinfection, with 10⁶ TCID₅₀ viruses at final concentration. The results showed that SARS coronavirus in the testing condition could survive in serum, 1:20 diluted sputum and feces for at least 96 h, whereas maintain in urine for at least 72 h with low level of infectivity. Survival abilities on the surfaces of eight different materials and in water were quite comparable, revealing reduction of infectivity 72 to 96 h exposure. Viruses stayed stably at 4, room temperature (20) and 37 for at least 5 days without any change in the infectious ability in cells, but converted to be non-infectious after 90-, 60- and 30-min exposure at 56, 67and 75. Irradiation of UV for 60 min on the virus in culture medium resulted in destroying viral infectivity to undetectable level. Collecting the results, the survival ability of SARS coronavirus in human specimens and in environments seems to be relative string. Heating and UV irradiation can eliminate the viral infectivity efficiently.