New ways of fighting ‘super bugs’ in hospitals

The Bradford Infection Group (BIG), based within the University of Bradford’s Schools of Engineering, Design & Technology and Life Sciences, was recently awarded funding worth over £175,000 to investigate an alternative strategy for controlling hospital acquired infections.

The grant, from the Department of Health’s National Institute for Health Research NHS Physical Environment Research Programme, will support BIG’s two-year programme of research which will involve simulating a hospital ward environment using a brand new state-of-the-art aerobiological test chamber housed at the University of Bradford.

This facility, thought to be the largest in the UK and one of the largest known facilities of its kind in the world, allows microbiological experiments to be undertaken in a completely controlled environment and enables researchers to mimic parts of hospitals, such as isolation wards.

Head of the Bradford Infection Group is Clive Beggs, Professor of Medical Engineering at the University of Bradford. He said: “Approximately one in ten patients pick up an infection during a hospital stay. While hand washing and other hygiene measures are vital, evidence suggests that these measures alone are not always enough to prevent certain infections and therefore a fresh approach is needed.

“We know that many Gram-negative bacteria desiccate and die in dry environments. We are therefore investigating the extent to which humidity control might assist in the fight against infection.”

Director General of Research and Development at the Department of Health, Professor Sally C. Davies, said: “Preventing and controlling hospital acquired infections is an absolute priority for patients and the NHS.

“We need to investigate all the potential causes from every conceivable angle to make sure we are providing hospitals with the best available information and enable them to focus on priority areas.

“The finds of this important research will support NHS Trusts in the delivery of clean, safe and reliable health care.”

The research group will be modelling the impact of humidity on bacteria and, in particular, looking at how humidity control might be used to prevent the spread of infection via contaminated surfaces and air in hospital wards.

Dr Anna Snelling, Microbiologist at the University of Bradford and a member of the BIG, said: “The biological impact of changes in room humidity on different pathogens is something that is still poorly understood. This is an important and much overlooked subject which may hold the key to future improvements in ward cleanliness.”

The aerobiological test chamber at the University of Bradford has just recently been completed and is 80m3 in size. This facility is one of very few in the world and is similar to the chamber at Harvard University in the USA.

“We are very pleased to have such a world class facility,” added Professor Beggs. “It will greatly assist us in our experiments and should enable the Group to investigate the efficacy of a wide range of hygiene and disinfection products in partnership with healthcare providers and industry.”