Bacteria in hospitals can survive for weeks

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A bacterium that is a major cause of hospital infection can persist for weeks on environmental surfaces like bed linen, according to a study.
There is increasing concern over methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is responsible for many hospital-acquired infections, some of which prove fatal. Researchers in the USA have been looking into the persistence of MRSA in hospitals.

The ability of MRSA to be transmitted from one person to another depends upon its ability to survive upon common surfaces, such as bed linen, computer keyboard covers and fingernails. In this study, two strains of MRSA were inoculated onto samples of such surfaces. Over the next eight weeks, surviving bacteria were counted. The study showed that MRSA could persist for eight weeks on acrylic fingernails, for six weeks on computer keyboard covers, and for five days on bed linen. These findings demonstrate clearly the importance of hand washing and disinfection in health care settings - without frequent cleansing, MRSA will persist and pose a danger.

Source
American Society for Microbiology meeting 6th June 2005