Federal Funding Awarded to Test Antimicrobial Properties of Cop...(itional method of combating increasingin...),Health

The touch surfaces study will employ a series of three clinical trials to determine how well natural copper, brass and bronze surfaces mitigate infectious microbes, decrease cross-contamination and ultimately help reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections in patients. Rates of infection will be measured using three indicator organisms: MRSA, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) and Acinetobacter baumannii, of particular concern since the beginning of the Iraq War. The surfaces involved in the study are typically made of stainless steel or plastic, which have little or no effect in controlling pathogens.

The studies will be conducted at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medial Center, both in Charleston, South Carolina. Previous studies were conducted by ATS Labs in Eagan, Minnesota, under test protocols established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They show solid copper alloys are more than 99.9% effective on five pathogens commonly found in healthcare facilities. The tests have been submitted to EPA as part of a registration process to secure approval for making human health claims for the copper metals.

A congressionally funded companion study will compare copper air- conditioning system components, including cooling coils, heat exchange fins and drip pans, with components made of aluminum as to their ability to control the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi. The trials are designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of copper surfaces in reducing the colonization of HVAC systems by harmful microbes and reducing exposure to these organisms throughout the buildings served by the systems.

Laboratory studies are taking place at the University of South Carolina in the Arnold Sch
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SOURCE Copper Development Association Copyright©2007 PR Newswire.

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