Drug & Device Development

Glove containing disinfectant may protect against viral infection

Last Updated: 2003-05-06 11:23:13 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A special three-layer glove may reduce the risk of infection with enveloped viruses from accidental needle punctures.

The experimental glove, known as G-VIR, consists of two elastomeric sheets enclosing a rubber film, which contains disinfectant droplets. The location of these droplets allows them to disperse and disinfect any needles that violate the outer surface before the inner surface is breached.

In lab experiments, Dr. Philippe Sonntag, Hutchinson Research Center in Montargis, France, and colleagues compared the viral-blocking ability of G-VIR with that of a similar glove that lacked the disinfectant. The test viruses included HSV-1, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) --a surrogate for hepatitis C virus--and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)--a surrogate for HIV.

The researchers' findings are published in the April issue of the Journal of Medical Virology.

In 82% of comparisons with the control glove, G-VIR reduced the amount of BVDV that passed through after needle puncture. On average, G-VIR was associated with more than a 10-fold reduction in median plague counts of BVDV.

For HSV, G-VIR was associated with a reduction in viral breakthrough in 81% of test comparisons, the researchers note. An 8- or 9-fold average reduction in median plague counts was noted.

"In vivo tests with FIV and HSV in cats and mice, respectively, found smaller reductions in infections than the in vitro tests but confirmed the virucidal effect of the gloves," Dr. Sonntag and colleagues report

"The use of the virucidal gloves described in the present study should lead to greater protection for surgeons and other medical personnel exposed to needle punctures with blood from HCV- or HIV-infected patients," they add.

J Med Virol 2003;69:538-545.