Disinfectants and procedures for genetic engineering work with viruses

According to GenTSV (2019), Annexes 2 to 4 (valid from March 1, 2021), effective disinfectants and specific disinfection procedures must be made available and used in genetic engineering facilities where GMOs are handled. Approved disinfectants are listed in lists regularly published, for example, by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the Association for Applied Hygiene (VAH), or the German Veterinary Society (DVG). RKI-tested agents are divided into five different areas of activity (A: bacteria, fungi, and fungal spores; B: viruses; C: spores of the anthrax pathogen; D: spores of the pathogens that cause gas edema and tetanus). Furthermore, the RKI list defines different areas of application (e.g., hygienic hand disinfection, laundry disinfection, or wipe disinfection). The VAH's disinfectant list is based on the same classification into areas of effectiveness, but primarily refers to disinfection methods suitable for routine and prophylactic disinfection. In these lists, products with virus-effective properties (area of ​​effectiveness B) are specifically labeled. A distinction is made between "limited virucidal" (against enveloped viruses), "limited virucidal PLUS" (against enveloped viruses as well as adenoviruses, noroviruses, and rotaviruses), and "virucidal" (against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses) effectiveness.

In its statement (ref. 6790-10-49), the ZKBS recommends considering the above-mentioned lists when selecting disinfectants and procedures, as the products they contain have already been tested for their effectiveness against viruses. It should be noted that some of the lists pursue different objectives and therefore the listed products may differ in terms of exposure times and the concentrations of the working solutions. For example, the VAH list is primarily geared towards routine disinfection, while the RKI list is primarily geared towards officially prescribed disinfection. It should be noted that in addition to the use of listed preparations, it is also possible to use procedures and agents that are not included in any of the above-mentioned lists if their effectiveness has been proven for the intended area of ​​application.

When working with unstable enveloped viruses, it is preferable to use a disinfectant with a "limited virucidal" or "limited virucidal PLUS" efficacy, as these are generally more compatible with human health than agents with a "virucidal" efficacy and contain fewer environmentally harmful components. However, it should be noted that certain viruses may exhibit greater resistance than the test viruses used in the test methods. It should also be considered that recombinant viruses that are pseudotyped or chimerized with surface or capsid proteins of corresponding viruses may also increase their resistance to certain disinfection methods.

When selecting disinfection methods, in addition to the spectrum of effectiveness, further aspects such as occupational and fire safety must be considered. For the disinfection of surfaces, wipe disinfection is generally preferable to spray disinfection due to the potential for aerosol formation.

Finally, the updated ZKBS statement withdraws a previous recommendation not to use alcohol-based disinfectants in genetic engineering work with the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and the hepatitis B virus (HBV), as recent studies have demonstrated their effectiveness against these viruses.