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Title: Fighting Ebola with novel spore decontamination technologies for the military

Abstract

Recently, global public health organizations such as Doctors without Borders (MSF), the World Health Organization (WHO), Public Health Canada, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. government developed and deployed Field Decontamination Kits (FDKs), a novel, lightweight, compact, reusable decontamination technology to sterilize Ebola-contaminated medical devices at remote clinical sites lacking infra-structure in crisis-stricken regions of West Africa (medical waste materials are placed in bags and burned). The basis for effectuating sterilization with FDKs is chlorine dioxide (ClO2) produced from a patented invention developed by researchers at the US Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center (NSRDEC) and commercialized as a dry mixed-chemical for bacterial spore decontamination. In fact, the NSRDEC research scientists developed an ensemble of ClO2 technologies designed for different applications in decontaminating fresh produce; food contact and handling surfaces; personal protective equipment; textiles used in clothing, uniforms, tents, and shelters; graywater recycling; airplanes; surgical instruments; and hard surfaces in latrines, laundries, and deployable medical facilities. These examples demonstrate the far-reaching impact, adaptability, and versatility of these innovative technologies. Here, we present the unique attributes of NSRDEC’s novel decontamination technologies and a Case Study of the development of FDKs that were deployed in West Africa by international public healthmore » organizations to sterilize Ebola-contaminated medical equipment. FDKs use bacterial spores as indicators of sterility. We review the properties and structures of spores and the mechanisms of bacterial spore inactivation by ClO2. We also review mechanisms of bacterial spore inactivation by novel, emerging, and established non-thermal technologies for food preservation, such as high pressure processing, irradiation, cold plasma, and chemical sanitizers, using an array of Bacillus subtilis mutants to probe mechanisms of spore germination and inactivation. In conclusion, we employ techniques of high-resolution atomic force microscopy and phase contrast microscopy to examine the effects of γ-irradiation on bacterial spores of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus atrophaeus spp. and of ClO2 on B. subtilis spores, and present in detail assays using spore bio-indicators to ensure sterility when decontaminating with ClO2.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. U.S. Army Natick, Natick, MA (United States)
  2. Brandeis Univ., Waltham, MA (United States)
  3. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD (United States)
  4. Univ. of Connecticut, Farmington, CT (United States)
  5. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  6. Univ. of California San Francisco - Benioff, Oakland, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1234627
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1259663
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-668947
Journal ID: ISSN 1664-302X
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344; 04-ERD-002
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Frontiers in Microbiology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 1664-302X
Publisher:
Frontiers Research Foundation
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Ebola; decontamination technologies; spores; chlorine dioxide; military medicine; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; chrloinedioxide

Citation Formats

Doona, Christopher J., Feeherry, Florence E., Kustin, Kenneth, Olinger, Gene G., Setlow, Peter, Malkin, Alexander J., and Leighton, Terrance. Fighting Ebola with novel spore decontamination technologies for the military. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2015.00663.
Doona, Christopher J., Feeherry, Florence E., Kustin, Kenneth, Olinger, Gene G., Setlow, Peter, Malkin, Alexander J., & Leighton, Terrance. Fighting Ebola with novel spore decontamination technologies for the military. United States. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00663
Doona, Christopher J., Feeherry, Florence E., Kustin, Kenneth, Olinger, Gene G., Setlow, Peter, Malkin, Alexander J., and Leighton, Terrance. 2015. "Fighting Ebola with novel spore decontamination technologies for the military". United States. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00663. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1234627.
@article{osti_1234627,
title = {Fighting Ebola with novel spore decontamination technologies for the military},
author = {Doona, Christopher J. and Feeherry, Florence E. and Kustin, Kenneth and Olinger, Gene G. and Setlow, Peter and Malkin, Alexander J. and Leighton, Terrance},
abstractNote = {Recently, global public health organizations such as Doctors without Borders (MSF), the World Health Organization (WHO), Public Health Canada, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. government developed and deployed Field Decontamination Kits (FDKs), a novel, lightweight, compact, reusable decontamination technology to sterilize Ebola-contaminated medical devices at remote clinical sites lacking infra-structure in crisis-stricken regions of West Africa (medical waste materials are placed in bags and burned). The basis for effectuating sterilization with FDKs is chlorine dioxide (ClO2) produced from a patented invention developed by researchers at the US Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center (NSRDEC) and commercialized as a dry mixed-chemical for bacterial spore decontamination. In fact, the NSRDEC research scientists developed an ensemble of ClO2 technologies designed for different applications in decontaminating fresh produce; food contact and handling surfaces; personal protective equipment; textiles used in clothing, uniforms, tents, and shelters; graywater recycling; airplanes; surgical instruments; and hard surfaces in latrines, laundries, and deployable medical facilities. These examples demonstrate the far-reaching impact, adaptability, and versatility of these innovative technologies. Here, we present the unique attributes of NSRDEC’s novel decontamination technologies and a Case Study of the development of FDKs that were deployed in West Africa by international public health organizations to sterilize Ebola-contaminated medical equipment. FDKs use bacterial spores as indicators of sterility. We review the properties and structures of spores and the mechanisms of bacterial spore inactivation by ClO2. We also review mechanisms of bacterial spore inactivation by novel, emerging, and established non-thermal technologies for food preservation, such as high pressure processing, irradiation, cold plasma, and chemical sanitizers, using an array of Bacillus subtilis mutants to probe mechanisms of spore germination and inactivation. In conclusion, we employ techniques of high-resolution atomic force microscopy and phase contrast microscopy to examine the effects of γ-irradiation on bacterial spores of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus atrophaeus spp. and of ClO2 on B. subtilis spores, and present in detail assays using spore bio-indicators to ensure sterility when decontaminating with ClO2.},
doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2015.00663},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1234627}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology},
issn = {1664-302X},
number = ,
volume = 6,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Aug 12 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Wed Aug 12 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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Cited by: 11 works
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Works referenced in this record:

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The release of dipicolinic acid — The rate-limiting step of Bacillus endospore inactivation during the high pressure thermal sterilization process
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Inactivation of human norovirus using chemical sanitizers
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Mechanisms of endospore inactivation under high pressure
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Kinetics and Mechanism of the Decomposition of Chlorous Acid
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The Bacillus subtilis endospore: assembly and functions of the multilayered coat
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Mechanisms of killing spores of Bacillus subtilis by acid, alkali and ethanol
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Mechanisms of killing of Bacillus subtilis spores by hypochlorite and chlorine dioxide
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Lipids in the inner membrane of dormant spores of Bacillus species are largely immobile
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A soluble protein is immobile in dormant spores of Bacillus subtilis but is mobile in germinated spores: Implications for spore dormancy
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Structure of a protein-DNA complex essential for DNA protection in spores of Bacillus species
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Measurements of the pH within dormant and germinated bacterial spores.
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Electron Microscopy of Spores of Bacillus Megaterium with Special Reference to the Effects of Fixation and thin Sectioning
journal, June 1962


High-Pressure Thermal Sterilization: Food Safety and Food Quality of Baby Food Puree: HPTS and its impact on FPCs and spores…
journal, February 2014


Treatment with oxidizing agents damages the inner membrane of spores of Bacillus subtilis and sensitizes spores to subsequent stress
journal, October 2004


Characterization of Bacillus subtilis spore inactivation in low-pressure, low-temperature gas plasma sterilization processes
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