Inactivation of Respiratory Syncytial Virus by Ozone Generated via Dielectric Barrier Discharge Technology with Decrease in Intact Viral Surface Protein

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of severe respiratory infections, particularly in infants and young children. Although disinfection methods using alcohol and detergents are effective, their application in pediatric environments poses safety concerns. Ozone (O₃) has been employed for water treatment, food preservation, and air purification, but its efficacy against RSV has not been well studied. Here, we investigated the inactivation of RSV using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD)-based ozone generator (SFG1210). The RSV A2 strain was spotted on glass coverslips and exposed to low-concentration ozone (0.5 ppm) for 1 h under controlled temperature (24.6~27.2 °C) and relative humidity (71.9~75.1%) conditions. Subsequent infectivity assays combined with immunochromatography showed that ozone exposure significantly reduced RSV infectivity. Specifically, viral titration assay of median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID₅₀) showed that RSV titers were reduced by more than 6 logs. In addition, biochemical analyses showed significant reductions in intact RSV genomic RNA and F protein levels after ozone treatment, suggesting that ozone inactivates RSV by damaging both the viral genome and surface proteins. These findings demonstrate the potential applicability of the SFG1210 ozone generator as an effective tool for surface disinfection of RSV, providing a safe, non-contact, and practical approach for infection control in healthcare and childcare settings.