Morbillivirus hominis is Inactivated by Germicidal UV Light

What is Morbillivirus hominis?

Morbillivirus is a genus classification containing several species of viruses which affect dogs, cats, cattle, and some aquatic mammals. But it is Morbillivirus hominis, or the measles virus which finds its host in humans, resulting in the most highly contagiousopen_in_new airborne infection in the United States, the measlesopen_in_new. Shortly after it was identified in 1912, Measles claimed an average of 6,000 lives each year in the United States. As years progressed, it is estimated that 3–4 million people were infected annually, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of hospitalizations.

While most measles outbreaks have been halted due to the vaccine formulated in 1963 by Enders and Peeblesopen_in_new, hundreds of U.S. measles casesopen_in_new are still reported yearly. In 1971, the measles vaccine was combined with vaccines for mumps and rubella into a single vaccine called MMRopen_in_new and is mandated in many states for public school children. The CDCopen_in_new recommends two doses: as an infant, then again around age 5.

Preventing the Spread of Morbillivirus hominis

The spread of Morbillivirus hominis can be minimized by:

• Maintaining adequate air ventilation/filtration to dispel airborne spores
• Avoiding close contact with an infected person, via breath particles as well as physical contact
• Not touching surfaces that have been contaminated by the virus
• Wearing protective clothing in potentially infected areas

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Morbillivirus hominis: Classification & UV-C Dose for Inactivation

Organism:	Alternate Name:	Type:	Disease:	UV Dose*:
Morbillivirus hominis	Measles virus, MeV	Virus	Measles, rubeola	4.8 mJ/cm2

* Nominal Ultraviolet dosage necessary to inactivate better than 99% of microorganisms. See sources below.

People at High Risk of Infection

Morbillivirus hominis, if inhaled, puts you at high risk of contracting measles. The measles virus has no medical treatment. The virus must run its 10–14 day course. Eight to twelve days after exposure, you will experience some or all of the symptoms listed below, including a red, blotchy rash which starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.

You’re more likely to contract an infection from Morbillivirus hominis if you:

• Have contact with an infected individual (share drinks, shake hands, hug or kiss)
• Touch an infected surface, then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth
• Are not vaccinated
• Spend time in areas where the vaccination rate is low, such as Africa, the Middle East, and Asia

Morbillivirus hominis Symptoms

The most common symptoms associated with Morbillivirus hominis are as follows:

Possible Complications from Morbillivirus hominis

Some Morbillivirus hominis infections can cause:

Sources on Morbillivirus hominis

The above information can be found on the following pages.

• Wikipedia: Morbillivirus hominisopen_in_new
• CDC: History of Measlesopen_in_new
• The Lancet: Air Disinfection in measles transmission hotspotsopen_in_new
• World Health Organization: A Brief History of Vaccinesopen_in_new
• WHO: Measles fact sheetopen_in_new
• National Library of Medicine: History of UVGI for Air Disinfectionopen_in_new
• Cleveland Clinic: Measlesopen_in_new

Dosage Source

Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation Handbook: UVGI for Air and Surface Disinfection. Wladyslaw Kowalski. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2009.

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