Can Copper Control Infectious Disease?
September 28, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE A 2000-year history of the antimicrobial applications of copper metals has given rise to current efforts to determine their effectiveness in stemming infectious disease in healthcare and other public facilities, the food processing industry, and HVAC (heating, air conditioning and ventilation) applications. Recent studies sponsored by the Copper Development Association Inc. (CDA) and the International Copper Association, Ltd., have shown that uncoated copper and copper alloys can inactivate common disease-causing bacteria, such as E. coli (Figure 1), streptococcus and staphylococcus. Copper alloy surfaces have even proven effective against one of the more virulent strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria associated with hospital-acquired infections, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). (Figure 2) The studies were conducted by Drs. William Keevil, Sandra Wilks and Jonathon Noyce at the University of Southampton, U.K.
