Persistence of Salmonella typhimurium on fabrics.

The persistence of Salmonella typhimurium (V-31) on wool blanket, wool gabardine, cotton sheeting, cotton knit jersey, cotton terry cloth, and cotton wash-and-wear fabrics was studied. Three methods of exposure were employed to contaminate the fabrics: direct contact, aerosol, and a lyophilized mixture of bacteria and dust having a high content of textile fibers. After contamination, the fabrics were held in 35 or 78% relative humidity at 25 C. The persistence time of S. typhimurium on fabrics held in 35% relative humidity was substantially longer when the fabrics were contaminated by direct contact or by exposure to dust containing bacteria than when contaminated by exposure to aerosolized cultures. Viable bacterial populations persisted for 24 weeks at relatively high population densities on swatches of wool gabardine, cotton sheeting, cotton knit jersey, and cotton terry cloth exposed by direct contact and held in a humidity of 35%. In 78% humidity, bacterial populations persisted on the fabrics for relatively shorter periods of time regardless of the mode of contamination or fabric type. This organism retained its virulence for Swiss mice after being recovered from wool gabardine swatches held 8 weeks in humidities of 35 or 78% and from cotton terry cloth swatches held 6 weeks in the same humidities.