Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSNew disinfectant could eradicate hospital infections
A fast-acting disinfectant that can eradicate a wide range of bacteria connected with fatal hospital infections has been developed in Germany.
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The inexpensive disinfectant can be used to treat surgical instruments for viruses, fungi and prions. Berlin scientists used previous studies that discovered the formulation removes prions, which are misfolded proteins linked to Creutzfelt-Jakob Disease and mad-cow disease.
By mixing the formula with different amounts of alcohol, researchers at the Robert Koch Institute created a safe disinfectant that works against a high number of micro-organisms.
Prion expert and lead researcher Michael Beekes said: “Eliminating a broad range of pathogens with one formula is not easy. Some micro-organisms such as mycobacteria, poliovirus, fungal spores and, not least, prions are particularly resistant to inactivation.
“Standard formulations that eliminate prions are very corrosive. The solution we’ve come up with is not only safer and more material-friendly, but easy to prepare, cheap and highly effective against a wide variety of infectious agents,” he said.
The research findings are published in the Journal of General Virology.
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Readers' comments (3)
Kay Hogan | 22-Jan-2010 12:23 pm
Not much help reading the article when the name of the product was not given to us !!!!!
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Anonymous | 23-Jan-2010 3:11 pm
Perhaps you could look up the journal article published in the Journal of General Virology. At this point the product would not have a brand name but is only a formulation of chemicals?
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Anonymous | 11-May-2010 0:52 am
what is the name of the disinfectant sounds like a breakthrough when will it be available
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