SCIENTISTS at the University of Southampton have found a new weapon in the fight against a hospital superbug.
Researchers led by Professor Bill Keevil found that copper surfaces killed the virulent Clostridium difficile within two days.
In comparison the bacteria were still alive after a week when placed on a stainless steel surface.
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The Southampton research team has already shown how effective copper can be in combating the MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureaus) hospital bug.
Exceptionally high levels of MRSA microbes were eliminated within 90 minutes of contact with a copper surface. In the same tests, the bacteria remain alive on stainless steel surfaces for up to three days. Professor Keevil said: "We've already shown that copper surfaces can inactivate MRSA microbes.
"The fact that we've now established that copper also inactivates C. difficile spores, which are resistant to standard cleaning regimes, doubles our conviction that copper can play a significant role in helping hospitals to fight against infections."
The superbug forms spores that are resistant to a range of disinfectants, including alcohol gel, which is recommended for routine use in hospitals. Following the research Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham has begun a trial to demonstrate copper's germ killing properties in a clinical setting.
Frequently touched surfaces, such as door handles, grab rails, bathroom taps and light switches, have all been replaced with copper alloys in one ward.
The research findings are published in the Journal of Hospital Infection in February 2008.
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