Infection Control · single question
Which virus survives the LONGEST on environmental surfaces?
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Correct answer: A. Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
- A. Correct. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the most environmentally resilient bloodborne pathogen. HBV can survive on dry surfaces at room temperature for up to 7 days (some studies suggest longer). This makes it the greatest infection control concern in the dental office for surface contamination.
- B. HIV is extremely fragile in the environment — it survives only minutes to hours outside the host under normal conditions.
- C. Hepatitis C virus is less stable on surfaces — it survives for hours to days (much less than HBV) under environmental conditions.
- D. M. tuberculosis is an airborne pathogen — while highly resistant to some disinfectants, its surface survival is less than HBV.
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