During outbreaks, contaminated surfaces can contribute to the spread of cholera; as such, surface disinfection with chlorine is widely recommended. However, confirmation of surface disinfection efficacy against Vibrio cholerae requires testing for the V. cholerae bacteria, which is not commonly completed in outbreak settings. We investigated whether culturable Escherichia coli (commonly measured in outbreak settings) is an appropriate surrogate for culturable V. cholerae by conducting experiments using 0.02% chlorine made with sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) on six nonporous and porous surfaces. Across all test conditions, culturable E. coli were reduced by 1.3 to >6.9 log and culturable V. cholerae by 4.9 to 7.0 log. Results suggest culturable E. coli is a conservative surrogate for culturable V. cholerae, and it is recommended that E. coli can be used in households and health care facilities in cholera outbreaks as a conservative indicator of adequate disinfection. Further research is recommended on the relative importance of fomite transmission in cholera contexts, the role that viable but nonculturable (VBNC) V. cholerae (not tested herein) might have in transmission, and potential surrogates for VBNC V. cholerae.
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Kolus, R. C., Zahrah, M., String, G., & Lantagne, D. S. (2021). Culturable E. coli as Surrogate for Culturable V. cholerae in Surface Disinfection Testing with Chlorine. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 147(4). https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)ee.1943-7870.0001863