Olivia Penrod
Research Mentor(s): Ke Zhang
Mentor Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
Authors: Olivia Penrod, Nadwa Atwi, Sarah Bensel, Rory , Vish , Ke Zhang
Session: Session 7 (4:00pm – 4: 50pm)
Presentation Type: Poster 29
Abstract
Transmission of respiratory infectious disease in indoor environments poses a significant threat to public health. Here, we used a bacteriophage MS2 as a safe surrogate or model to understand the transmission risk of influenza viruses on indoor surfaces. First, the MS2 is deposited in droplets on a glass cover slip in the environmental chamber at a set humidity ranging from 20% to 80% relative humidity. The samples are taken from the deposit time to multiple days and mixed with the host and agar to grow in a petri dish. The amount of growth spots in the petri dish is then measured to determine the persistence at that humidity and time after deposition. An analysis of this data finds that MS2 tends to decay faster at high relative humidity compared to low relative humidity. This suggests that during times of the year when the environment is less humid, virus transmission will be higher compared to the more humid months of the year. By studying bacteria phages similar to influenza viruses, we create a better understanding of the risk of influenza viruses to the public. This helps keep guidelines up to date and improves public health.
