Norovirus Survival on Inanimate Objects
Norovirus can survive on inanimate surfaces for several days to weeks, with rotavirus persisting for several days on nonporous materials under conditions of low temperature and humidity, and Norwalk virus (norovirus) remaining infectious on various surfaces for extended periods. 1
Surface Survival Duration
General Persistence Timeline
Norovirus remains infectious on hard, nonporous surfaces for up to 42 days, with viral RNA concentrations dropping gradually by approximately 1.5 to 2.0 log over this period on surfaces including stainless steel, ceramic, and Formica. 2
Rotavirus can survive for several days on nonporous materials, particularly under conditions of low temperature and humidity, making fomites a significant contributor to nosocomial transmission. 1
Surface-Specific Survival Rates
Murine norovirus (a norovirus surrogate) showed the greatest reduction on stainless steel (2.28 log10) and the lowest reduction on wood (1.29 log10) over 28 days, with infectivity remaining on all tested food-contact surfaces after this period. 3
The rank order of viral reduction from highest to lowest was: stainless steel, plastic, rubber, glass, ceramic, and wood, indicating that porous surfaces like wood harbor virus longer than non-porous surfaces. 3
The time required to reduce virus by 90% (d-value) ranged from 91.76 hours on stainless steel to 492.59 hours on wood, demonstrating substantial variation based on surface material. 3
Clinical Implications for Transmission
High Transfer Efficiency
Transfer efficiency from contaminated surfaces to food ranges from 0-26% for lettuce and 55-95% for sliced turkey deli meat, with statistically significant differences based on contact pressure and inoculum drying time. 2
Surfaces contaminated by Norwalk particles from spattered or aerosolized material play a significant role in transmission, as demonstrated in outbreak investigations on cruise ships where shared toilets between staterooms were identified as risk factors. 1
Environmental Contamination Concerns
- Norovirus persists in an infective state on various food-contact surfaces for long periods, making environmental contamination a critical factor in outbreak settings and requiring aggressive disinfection protocols. 3
Effective Disinfection Requirements
Recommended Disinfection Protocol
Sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach) at concentrations of 1,000-5,000 ppm should be applied to hard, nonporous environmental surfaces, with solutions freshly prepared within 24 hours or doubled in concentration (2,000-10,000 ppm) if stored for up to 30 days. 1
Initial cleaning of contaminated surfaces to remove organic loads such as fecal material must be performed before sodium hypochlorite disinfection, as 5,000 ppm sodium hypochlorite failed to completely eliminate norovirus dried in 20% fecal stool suspension on surfaces. 1
Longer exposure times of approximately 4 minutes with 5,000 ppm sodium hypochlorite are needed on fecally soiled surfaces to achieve a 4 log10 reduction of norovirus surrogates. 1
Ineffective Disinfection Methods
Products containing phenolic compounds, triclosan, and quaternary ammonium compounds are less effective against nonenveloped viruses such as norovirus and should not be relied upon for environmental disinfection. 1, 4
Most ethanol-based disinfectants and antiseptics at normally used concentrations are ineffective against norovirus on surfaces. 4
Critical Pitfalls to Avoid
Do not assume that standard cleaning products will eliminate norovirus—only EPA-registered products effective against norovirus or properly diluted chlorine bleach solutions should be used. 1
Do not neglect high-touch surfaces such as door knobs, hand rails, and shared bathroom facilities, as these are the most likely areas of environmental contamination requiring particular attention. 1
Do not rely on alcohol-based hand sanitizers alone for hand hygiene, as soap and water for at least 20 seconds is the most effective method to reduce norovirus contamination from hands that may have contacted contaminated surfaces. 1