Many Disinfectants Act Against Ebola

EPA has published a list of more than 100 approved antimicrobial products that meet the criteria for use as a disinfectant against the Ebola virus on hard, nonporous surfaces. All of the products can be used in hospitals, and 77 of them are approved for residential use. None of the products are allowed to claim that they are capable of killing the Ebola virus, because there are no data to back up such claims, EPA says. The products can claim, however, that they are capable of killing viruses that are harder to kill than Ebola. Criteria for use of disinfectants against Ebola were outlined in a guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in August. Ebola belongs to a class of viruses called enveloped viruses, which are readily susceptible to numerous disinfectants. Nonenveloped viruses are more resistant to such chemicals. CDC suggests that disinfectants used against Ebola should be as potent as disinfectants that are used to kill nonenveloped viruses. Such products can inactivate both viral classes.