COSAM RESEARCHERS SAY
HARMFUL BACTERIA
CAN SURVIVE FOR A WEEK
INSIDE AIRLINER CABINS
Disease-causing bacteria can linger on surfaces
in commercial airplane cabins for up to a week,
according to a COSAM study presented at the
annual meeting of the American Society for
Microbiology.
Kiril Vaglenov, a graduate student working under
the guidance of Professor James Barbaree in
Auburn’s Department of Biological Sciences,
conducted a two-year study—funded through the
Federal Aviation Administration’s Airliner Cabin
Environmental Research Center—to determine
how long E. coli O157:H7 and methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, would
survive on commonly touched surfaces under
“The point of this study is
not to be alarmist, but to
point out to the airlines the
importance of providing a
sanitary environment for
travelers,” said Barbaree,
who is the director of the
study. “We want to work
with them to minimize the
risks to human health.”
typical airplane conditions. A major airline carrier
supplied Barbaree and Vaglenov with material
from armrests, plastic tray tables, seat-pocket cloth,
window shades and metal toilet buttons.
The Auburn team is currently investigating how
long pathogens that cause other diseases such as
tuberculosis survive in an airplane environment.
“Our data show that both of these bacteria can
survive for days on these surfaces, particularly the
porous material such as armrests and seat-pockets,”
said Vaglenov. “Air travelers should be aware of
the risk of catching or spreading a disease to other
passengers and practice good personal hygiene.”
Vaglenov said future steps include exploring
effective disinfecting procedures and testing
other surfaces and materials that have
antimicrobial properties to determine if they can
help reduce health risks.
For bacteria to be transmitted from a cabin surface
to a person, it must survive the environmental
conditions in the airplane. In the study Vaglenov
simulated the temperature and humidity levels
typically found during commercial flight.
MRSA survived the longest—168 hours—on
material from the seat-back pocket, while E. coli
O157:H7 lived for 96 hours on the material from
the armrest.
The Airliner Cabin Environment Research
Center is funded through a Federal Aviation
Administration Cooperative Agreement
titled, “National Air Transportation Center
of Excellence for Research in the Intermodal
Transport Environment.” The organization’s
vision for the future is that of an integrated
global transportation system that is increasingly
intermodal, where people and cargo safely,
seamlessly, and economically travel anywhere
at any time by unique and personalized
combinations of land, sea, and air travel.
(Written by Mike Clardy)
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