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Researchers from the School of Pharmacy The University of Nottingham in the UK, together with industrial paints manufacturer Indestructible Paint, has created a coating of chlorhexidine, which is effective destroys dangerous bacteria and viruses.
The innovative paint can be used in hospitals, public transportation, and public places. It has successfully coped with the destruction of dangerous viruses and pathogens, including MRSA, various strains of influenza and COVID-19.
The formula of the epoxy-based paint includes chlorhexidine. Antimicrobial and antiviral paint is activated after drying on the surface, destroying a wide range of pathogens. This paint can be applied to plastic surfaces as well as other hard and less porous surfaces.
Especially in hospitals, various surfaces collect large numbers of pathogens. Large numbers of dangerous microorganisms and viruses also often collect on surfaces in public places, for example, in recreational areas, food establishments, and airplanes. Some microorganisms are able to survive even under conditions of intensive cleaning and disinfection of surfaces. This leads to outbreaks of hospital-acquired infections among patients. These microorganisms can survive and remain dangerous on artificial surfaces for a long time, sometimes up to several months.
«In our initial research, we incorporated a disinfectant into the polymer to create a new antimicrobial paint that has excellent efficacy, which also does not spread into the environment and does not leach from the surface when touched. This new research has shown that surfaces with this paint applied are rid of bacteria, and as it dries, it becomes active. By adding this to paint, we can create an effective bacteria-killing coating that is easy to apply and cost-effective», — emphasized the study leader, Associate Professor of the Department of Pharmacy of Biological Drugs, Doctor of Science Felicity de Kogan.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been marked by a significant number of cases of spread among patients in hospitals at the time. It is estimated, that 20% of all patients with COVID-19 were infected while in the hospital.
In the period from 2016 to 2017, 4.7% of adult patients in hospitals contracted an infection there. 22 thousand 800 patients died due to these infections, despite the fact that these deaths could have been prevented. The most common pathogens of hospital-acquired infections are Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Clostridium difficile Outbreaks of infections in the clinic are often caused by strains that are resistant to antimicrobials.
As Dr Felicity de Kogan, plastic and metal surfaces, which are present in large numbers in public places, may turn out to be a reservoir for genes of pathogenic microorganisms resistant to modern antibiotics. They can contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance among bacterial species through horizontal gene transfer, despite deep cleaning methods.
The results of the study are published in the journal Scientific Reports
Source: SciTechDaily