Predicted and Measured Virucidal Efficacies of Microbicides for Emerging and Re-emerging Viruses Associated with WHO Priority Diseases

The World Health Organization has updated its list of priority diseases for 2021 to currently include the following: Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease (Filoviridae), Nipah and henipaviral diseases (Paramyxoviridae), Lassa fever (Arenaviridae), Rift Valley fever and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (Bunyaviridae), Zika (Flaviviridae), COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) including Delta, Omicron, and other variants of concern, Middle East respiratory syndrome, severe acute respiratory syndrome (Coronaviridae), and the always present “disease X,” which is a term used for the next emerging pathogen of concern that is not known about today. In this chapter, we review the virucidal efficacy data for microbicides (disinfectants and antiseptics, also known as surface and hand hygiene agents or collectively hygiene agents) for the viruses associated with these diseases. As these diseases are each caused by lipid-enveloped viruses, the susceptibilities of the viruses to virucidal agents are informed by the known hierarchy of susceptibility of pathogens to microbicides. The unique susceptibility of lipid-enveloped viruses to most classes of microbicides is based on the common mechanism of action of envelope-disrupting microbicides. Empirical data supporting this principle and the mitigational role of targeted hygiene in infection prevention and control (IPAC) discussed are presented.