Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

High-level disinfectants are specifically designed to eliminate a wide range of pathogens, including vegetative bacteria, fungi, and viruses. However, when it comes to bacterial spores, which are known to be resilient and highly resistant to many forms of disinfection, high-level disinfectants may not be effective, particularly at high concentrations. These spores have protective coatings that enable them to withstand harsh environmental conditions, including exposure to disinfectants.

In practice, to achieve sterility or effectively eliminate bacterial spores, other methods such as sterilization (e.g., autoclaving or using sporicidal agents) are required as they are much more potent in targeting this type of microorganism. Therefore, the caution with high-level disinfectants is rooted in their limitations against the structural integrity and resistance of bacterial spores, making them less reliable for effective disinfection in these cases.