The aim of this study was to evaluate whether copper is effective in preventing the spread of contamination with methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on the touch surfaces of equipment utilized in the hospital ward. First, we tested the bactericidal activity of copper against two type strains of MRSA and
S. aureus in vitro. The bacterial counts of MRSA gradually decreased in proportion to the incubation time, as did those of
S. aureus, and they fell below the level of detection by 180 minutes. These bactericidal effects of copper were completely inhibited by overlaying the surface with a Millipore membrane filter before starting the test. Our results indicate that copper can have a strong bactericidal effect against
S. aureus, including MRSA, and that it is important that the bacteria directly touch the surface of copper for manifestation of its bactericidal activity. Subsequently, when a copper plate was installed on a floor that was highly contaminated with MRSA around the bed of a MRSA-carrying patient in the dermatology ward, the bacterial number of
S. aureus, including MRSA and the other
Staphylococcus, on the floor surface covered with copper plate significantly decreased when compared with that on unprotected areas as a control. These results suggest that the copper plate helped to prevent the spreading of MRSA contamination in the hospital.
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