Survival of selected pathogens
Bacteria
| Species | Disease/symptoms | Surface | Duration of persistence | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acinetobacter spp. | pneumonia, wound-associated infections, meningitis | dry inanimate surface | 3 days to 5 months | 1 |
| Bordetella pertussis | "whooping cough" | dry inanimate surface | 3-5 days | 1 |
| Campylobacter jejuni | enteritis, "food poisoning" | dry inanimate surface | up to 6 days | 1 |
| Clostridium difficile (spores) | pseudomembranous colitis | dry inanimate surface | 5 months | 1 |
| Chlamydia pneumoniae | various respiratory ailments | dry inanimate surface | less than 30 hours | 1 |
| Corynebacterium diphtheriae | diphtheria | dry inanimate surface | 7 days-6 months | 1 |
| Escherichia coli | gastrointestinal infection | dry inanimate surface | 1.5 hours-16 months | 1 |
| Helicobacter pylori | chronic stomach or duodenal ulcers | dry inanimate surface | less than 1.5 hours | 1 |
| Mycobacterium bovis | tuberculosis | dry inanimate surface | more than 2 months | 1 |
| Neisseria gonorrhoeae | gonorrhea | inanimate surface | 1-3 days | 1 |
| Proteus vulgaris | urinary tract and wound infections | dry inanimate surface | 1-2 days | 1 |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | various severe infections (wound, blood, etc.) | dry inanimate surface | 5 weeks on dry floor | 1 |
| Salmonella typhi | typhoid fever | dry inanimate surface | 6 hours - 4 weeks | 1 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | skin, respiratory infections, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome | dry inanimate surface | 7 days - 7 months | 1 |
| Vibrio cholerae | cholera | dry inanimate surface | 1-7 days | 1 |
Fungi (yeast)
| Species | Disease/symptoms | Surface | Duration of persistence | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candida albicans | hospital-associated infections, "yeast infection", "thrush" | dry inanimate surface | 1-120 days | 1 |
| Candida parapsilosis | wound and tissue infections in immunocompromised patients | dry inanimate surface | 14 days | 1 |
| Torulopsis glabrata | wound and tissue infections in immunocompromised patients | dry inanimate surface | 102-150 days | 1 |
Viruses
| Type of virus | Disease/symptoms | Surface | Duration of persistence | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adenovirus | infections range from the common cold syndrome to pneumonia, croup, and bronchitis | dry inanimate surface | 7 days - 3 months | 1 |
| Astrovirus | gastroenteritis accompanied by diarrhea, fever, vomiting, etc. | dry inanimate surface | 14 days | 1 |
| Coronavirus | SARS, gastroenteritis, common colds | dry inanimate surface | 3 hours | 1 |
| Coxsackie virus | wide range of infections (common cold, herpangina, hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, etc) | dry inanimate surface | more than 2 weeks | 1 |
| Cytomegalovirus | asymptomatic, fever, hepatitis | dry inanimate surface | 8 hours | 1 |
| HIV | AIDS | dry inanimate surface | more than 7 days | 1 |
| Influenza virus | influenza, "flu" | dry inanimate surface | 1-2 days | 1 |
| Papillomavirus 16 | asymptomatic, tumors, cancer | dry inanimate surface | more than 7 days days | 1 |
| Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) | from commom cold to severe respiratory distress | dry inanimate surface | up to 6 hours | 1 |
| Rhinovirus | sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing and cough; sometimes accompanied by muscle aches, fatigue, malaise, headache | dry inanimate surface | 2 hours-7 days | 1 |
| Rotavirus | vomiting, watery diarrhoea, and low-grade fever | dry inanimate surface | 6-60 days | 1 |