Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A child’s toys could pose a risk to their health, increasing the risk of infectious diseases, experts have warned.

A new research suggests that certain viruses, such as influenza, could survive on the surface of toys long enough to result in exposure. The experts tested how long a virus could survive on pieces of flexible plastic children’s toy, a squeaking frog. They were able to recover infectious virions, complete particles of the virus from the toy up to 24 hours after the toy was contaminated, at 60 percent humidity.

The viruses, such as influenza, can survive on children’s plastic toys for hours up to at least 24 hours, raising the risk of children becoming infected.

The experts have warned that when humidity was at 40 percent, the virus was still present 10 hours after contamination.

Lead author Dr Richard Bearden II from Georgia State University said, “People don’t really think about getting viruses from inanimate objects. They think about getting them from other people. Children are vulnerable to contracting infectious diseases because they put their hands and foreign objects in their mouths and their immune systems aren’t fully developed.”

The findings relate to enveloped viruses, those which have a protective outer layer that may help them survive and infect other cells.

The examples include influenza and corona viruses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) or Middle East Respiratory syndrome (MERS). Researchers said that the toys are likely an important channel for the transmission of viral diseases among children.

Previous studies have found viral contamination of shared toys in day care centres, doctor’s offices and homes.

The findings relate to enveloped viruses those which have a protective outer layer that may help them survive and infect other cells. The examples include influenza and corona viruses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) or Middle East Respiratory syndrome (MERS).

In particular, toys in common play areas in healthcare settings have been implicated as vehicles for outbreaks of viral illness. However, scientists did not know how long enveloped viruses can survive on inanimate objects. As a result, it was difficult to assess the potential risk of infection and design effective control measures such as disinfection.

Dr Bearden said, “I think the main focus should be for parents, daycare facilities, doctor’s offices and other places where children share toys to implement some type of strategy for decontamination to make sure those toys aren’t a reservoir for disease.”