Endurocide® Curtains effective against Measles and Candida auris
Our patented hospital curtain has now been tested and shown to be effective against:
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Measles virus (Measles morbillivirus)
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Candida auris
Measles virus | |
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Test Standard EN 14476 |
Result Log >4 (>99.99%) |
Candida auris | |
|---|---|
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Test Standard CG 147 (Halo test) AATCC 100 |
Result 6.5mm halo with no growth present Log >5.93 (>99.999%) |
Managing director of Bio Technics, David Evans, commented:
“We are conscious that pathogens considered a risk in healthcare settings are continually evolving and changing. To offer valuable solutions for everyday use, our products must continually be tried and tested against the most relevant healthcare pathogens. Working with our customers to determine the next pathogens that our products should be tested against, helps ensure that we not only provide a product that is tested and proven to be effective but is also relevant for their area of healthcare infection control. These latest results expand the already comprehensive testing data we offer on our standard Endurocide® Antimicrobial Plus Curtains.”
The pathogens tested and why they are important
As you may have seen in the media, Measles cases are increasing. In an article published in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it states that provisional data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that during the first six months of 2019 there were more measles cases reported worldwide than in any year since 2006. Between January and July 2019, 182 countries reported 364,808 measles cases to the WHO. This surpasses the 129,239 reported during the same time period in 2018. The WHO Regions with the biggest increases in reported measles cases include the African Region (900%), the Western Pacific Region (230%) and the European Region (150%)3.
Candida auris is a relatively new pathogen first identified in Japan in 2009 and is now considered a global health threat. It is often multidrug-resistant, meaning that drugs commonly used to treat it do not work.
According to Public Health England, as of the beginning of July 2017, 20 separate NHS Trusts and independent hospitals in the United Kingdom had detected over 200 patients colonised or infected with Candida auris. Three hospitals have seen large nosocomial outbreaks that have proved difficult to control, despite intensive infection prevention and control measures.2 A study published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology states that multidrug-resistant yeast Candida auris remained viable for at least 14 and 28 days.3
Given this information, it is important to ensure that products which are used daily by staff and patients, such as Hospital Curtains, are effective against these additional pathogens. Our Endurocide® Antimicrobial Plus Curtains have now been tested and shown to be effective against Measles & Candida auris.
Related information
For more information about the comprehensive testing undertaken and the pathogens the curtains have been tested against please get in touch.
NB: Test results for Candida auris are not applicable to Endurocide® Printed Curtains.
Author: Liz Wojciechowski
1 World Health Organization. (2019). New measles surveillance data from WHO. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/immunization/newsroom/new-measles-data-august-2019/en/#targetText=Global%20case%20and%20death%20estimates,were%20reported%20from%20181%20countries. [Accessed 18 Sep. 2019].
2 GOV.UK. (2019). Candida auris within the United Kingdom: updated guidance published. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/candida-auris-emergence-in-england/candida-auris-within-the-united-kingdom-updated-guidance-published [Accessed 18 Sep. 2019].
3 Welsh, R., Bentz, M., Shams, A., Houston, H., Lyons, A., Rose, L. and Litvintseva, A. (2019). Survival, Persistence, and Isolation of the Emerging Multidrug-Resistant Pathogenic Yeast Candida auris on a Plastic Health Care Surface.
Image credit: The causative agent of measles (lat.Morbilli). Wikimedia Commons
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information presented above was correct at time of publication, Bio Technics Ltd., does not assume any liability to any party for any errors or omissions. The above information is supplied for guidance only and is without guarantee. Any opinions expressed in this document are not necessarily those of Bio Technics Ltd. and are not for onward publication without consent.