An article from Emerging Health Threats Forum, the links to the study done which this article is based on can be found at the end of the story, so go to the site for the full length article :
" Virus can remain infectious for up to two weeks at low temperatures
The avian influenza H5N1 virus can survive and remain infectious on some surfaces for over 13 days, according to researchers from the US Environmental Protection Agency. The virus is particularly long-lived on glass and steel surfaces under low temperature and humidity levels, the researchers found.
“The virus used in the present study tends to survive longer in the environment in areas that are relatively colder and have less sunlight,” write Joseph Wood and colleagues in Environmental Science and Technology.1 “Measures taken to contain and inactivate the virus, especially in these areas or conditions, may be warranted.”
Earlier studies have focused mainly on the persistence of avian flu viruses in chicken faeces and feathers, as most documented cases of human H5N1 have occurred following contact with chickens. But environmental surfaces can also harbour the virus and are a potential source of infections, the authors say.
To determine how environmental conditions affected the viruses’ survival, the researchers added a solution of the virus to samples of chicken faeces, topsoil, steel, and glass. They stored the samples for up to 13 days at room temperature or at 40C (the standard temperature inside a fridge), and under low or high relative humidity.
They then extracted the viruses from the samples at set points until the end of the experiment and determined what proportion of the viruses remained viable by testing whether they could infect canine kidney cells."
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