Does high-level disinfection kill bacteria fungi viruses and all microorganisms and all bacterial spores?

High-level disinfection is effective at killing most bacteria, fungi, and viruses, but it does not reliably eliminate all bacterial spores. While it can significantly reduce the number of microorganisms to a safe level, certain resistant spores, such as those from Clostridium difficile, typically require sterilization processes to be completely eradicated. Therefore, high-level disinfection is not considered a substitute for sterilization when complete microbial destruction is necessary.