Copper Fixtures Kill Most Hospital Microbes

A new study has found that copper fittings rapidly killed microbes on hospital wards, succeeding where other infection control measures failed.

Researchers at Selly Oak Hospital (Birmingham, United Kingdom) conducted a ten-week trial at a medical ward, during which a set of water taps, a lavatory (WC) seat, and a push plate on an entrance door were replaced with copper versions. They were then swabbed twice a day for germs and the results were compared with a traditional tap, lavatory seat, and push plate elsewhere in the ward. The results showed that the copper items had up to 95% fewer microbes on their surface whenever they were tested, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile, influenza viruses, and Escherichia coli. The study was presented at the annual interscience conference on antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy (ICAAC), held during October 2008 in Washington DC (USA).

"The findings of 90 to 95% killing of those organisms, even after a busy day on a medical ward with items being touched by numerous people, is remarkable,” said lead researcher consultant microbiologist Professor Tom Elliott, Ph.D. "I have been a consultant microbiologist for several decades; this is the first time I have seen anything like copper in terms of the effect it will have in the environment. It may well offer us another mechanism for trying to defeat the spread of infection.”

The power of copper has been recognized for over 4,000 years; the ancient Egyptians used it to sterilize wounds and drinking water, while the Aztecs treated skin conditions with the metal. The ancient Greeks also knew of its benefits; Hippocrates, sometimes called "the father of medicine,” noted that it could be used to treat leg ulcers. Today, copper is a common constituent in many medicines, including antiseptic and antifungal creams. It is also believed to have anti-inflammatory properties, with many arthritis sufferers wearing copper bangles to ward off the disease.

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