October 30, 2007 - Foss Manufacturing Company today announced its Fosshield fabric technology is 99.99 percent effective in killing Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria to below the level of detection within one hour.
The company says the self-sanitizing fiber provides continuous antimicrobial protection. MRSA is a type of Staphylococcus aureus (staph) resistant to certain antibiotics including methicillin and the more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin, cephalexin and amoxicillin. MRSA incidence is on the rise in the U.S. and it has now become recognized as a major community-acquired pathogen and growing crisis.
“Results from our independent laboratory studies have shown that the Fosshield technology kills MRSA, as well as a broad spectrum of bacteria capable of transmission by contact, to levels below detection within one hour and in some instances less than 10 minutes, and also exhibits anti-viral activity,” said Charles P. Gerba, Ph.D., professor of environmental microbiology, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science at University of Arizona.
Gerba said MRSA survives longer on fabric than other surfaces.
The company says the key to the effectiveness of Fosshield’s antimicrobial agent is the unique and balanced combination of nature’s own active ingredients - silver and copper - embedded into the fiber. Moisture in the environment, the same moisture required for microbes to grow, initiates the release of silver and copper ions from the fiber. The ions disable the microbe’s metabolism, inactivating them.
“This ability to inactivate microbes in the environment on a continuous basis is important because bacteria, including MRSA, can survive in a variety of conditions for long periods of time and can spread via dust particles, clothing, furniture, or hospital equipment that have been in contact with infected patients,” Gerba said. “MRSA is emerging and spreading worldwide, and the number of infections is increasing outside the hospital setting. Therefore, it is important to broaden our arsenal beyond therapeutic options to include built-in protective measures involving high-traffic areas and materials in our environment.”
For more information: www.fossmfg.com