Laboratory efficacy of surface disinfection using chlorine against Vibrio cholerae

The purpose of this research is to establish the laboratory efficacy and field effectiveness of under-researched, on-going public health interventions commonly implemented to prevent cholera transmission in humanitarian crises.

Chlorine disinfection of surfaces in cholera outbreaks is widespread, yet surfaces common to low resource contexts are under-researched leading to contradictory guidance.

In this study, the efficacy of spraying and wiping chlorine on different surfaces to remove Vibrio cholerae was tested. The study found that spraying chlorine, and disinfection of non-porous surfaces, had higher V. cholerae reductions. Results support the use of 0.2% chlorine on most surfaces and 2.0% on contaminated porous surfaces.