Need for hygiene that lasts hours

Health experts have sounded the alert in the wake of an E Coli outbreak at a Welsh hospital that recently claimed the lives of two babies.They have reminded medical professionals of the importance of maintaining the strictest hygiene standards in hospitals.

The update comes from scientific advisers to Byotrol, the Manchester-based company that has developed a new hygiene technology that,'goes on killing bugs for many hours after its first application'.

Bleach and alcohol-based agents, routinely used in UK hospitals, lose their anti-microbial powers once they have dried on a surface, says the company.

"The cause of the ESBL producing E.coli outbreak is still unknown but long-lasting antimicrobial protection should be de rigueur in our hospitals, given we know that certain infectious agents can survive for hours, yet research has shown that this is not always the case," comments Curtis Gemmell, Emeritus Professor of Glasgow University, and a consultant to Byotrol.

From another quarter, after being shown the effectiveness of Byotrol in September, former UK trade envoy the Duke of York, said: "We saw a very innovative cleaning gel that retains its efficiency when dry. It could have a huge use in the NHS." Byotrol is available in a variety of forms, such as wipes, hand sanitisers and cleaning liquid, and is now on sale widely through outlets such as Tesco and Boots.