The World Health Organization recommendations in the Antimicrobial resistance: global report on surveillance 2014 include ‘enhancing infection prevention and control’ and ‘fostering innovation and research and development of new tools’.
One such tool for infection control – recently picked up by a number of healthcare watchdogs both here and in North America – is antimicrobial copper.
Man has benefited from the antimicrobial properties of copper since the dawn of civilisation. Well before microorganisms were discovered, the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Aztecs used copper-based preparations to treat burns, sore throats and skin rashes, as well as for day-to-day hygiene. Copper was also used to ward off infection in battlefield wounds.
In the 19th Century – with the discovery of the cause-and-effect relationship between germs and the development of disease – scientific evidence began to be gathered. Most recently, in the last few decades, extensive research has been carried out on the antimicrobial properties of copper and its alloys against a range of microorganisms threatening public health in food processing, healthcare and air conditioning applications.
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