Ebola; Ten Things that Kill The Virus

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The Ebola virus has so far stumped medical experts who, for nearly a decade, have attempted to formulate a vaccine. But the virus itself is far from omnipotent. At least 10 things destroy the virus, according to Discovery New reports.

FIRE
Ebola-contaminated items are frequently incinerated following local regulations. Once burned to smithereens, previously contaminated items are relatively harmless, according to the CDC. A CDC report entitled “Ebola-Associated Waste Management” mentions that “Ebola-associated waste that has been appropriately incinerated, autoclaved (sterilized), or otherwise inactivated is not infectious, does not pose a health risk, and is not considered to be regulated medical waste or a hazardous material under Federal law.”
ACID
Just a 3 percent solution of acetic acid kills Ebola on contact, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. This organic acid is what gives vinegar its characteristic pungent taste. Canada prohibits the sale of vinegar containing over 12.3 percent acetic acid, and other countries have similar restrictions. Most vinegars should therefore kill Ebola, but percentages of actual acid content vary.
BOILING
Boiling the virus for five minutes kills it, the PHAC reports. This is not a good way to destroy Ebola, however, because some of the living virus could escape as water vapor before the liquid reaches a boiling point.
ALCOHOL
Ebola is susceptible to “alcohol-based products,” according to the PHAC. Most hand sanitizers contain alcohol. Ebola, however, can enter through tiny cracks in the skin before hand sanitizer, or other alcohol-based products, takes effect.
“Ebola on dry surfaces, such as doorknobs and countertops, can survive for several hours,” the CDC reports, helping to explain why caregivers are advised to fully cover their hands and arms when touching objects in a patient’s room. Ebola has an even longer lifespan in bodily fluids, such as blood, outside of a patient. In such a form the CDC mentions that the virus “can survive up to several days at room temperature.”
BLEACH
Bleach that most of us have at home is powerful stuff when it comes to killing germs. A solution with just 5.25 percent bleach destroys Ebola, according to the World Health Organization, the PHAC and the CDC. Chlorine powder, commonly used to disinfect swimming pool water, kills Ebola too.
SIMMERING
How about a simmering soup of Ebola? No one wants that, but simmering Ebola for 30-60 minutes at 140 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the PHAC, can inactivate and/or destroy the virus.
RADIATION + DISINFECTANT
Ebola surprisingly appears to tolerate some amount of radiation, which is why contaminated items are not usually just zapped clean. Gamma irradiation plus a bit of glutaraldehyde kills Ebola, though, as does substantial UVC radiation, reports the PHAC.
A virus-killing robot called “Little Moe” by the San Antonia-based company Xenex uses pulses of ultraviolet light to disinfect Ebola-contaminated surfaces in mere minutes.
SOAP
In an “Information to Travelers” alert, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control mentions, “Ebola virus is easily killed by soap.” It goes on to advise that travelers should “wash hands regularly, using soap or antiseptics.”
The problem again is that Ebola and other viruses can enter through small skin cracks before an individual washes his or her hands. While soap can kill the virus on contact, hand washing with soap is not sufficient to prevent transmission.
The Sun
On a surface exposed to direct sunlight, the Ebola virus dries and dies, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Epidemiologist Emily Landon of the University of Chicago agrees, and adds that, when isolated from its human or non-human animal host, Ebola is a relatively easy to kill pathogen.
Glutaraldehyde
Glutaraldehyde is an extremely pungent, oily liquid. A product containing 1-2 percent of it can kill the Ebola virus, according to both the PHAC and a fact sheet created by the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute. Glutaraldehyde in small amounts is often found in wart removal products.
Source: https://news.discovery.com/human/health/10-things-that-kill-the-ebola-virus-141103.htm

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