University of Southampton - Copper works to kill Clostridium

Researchers have established that copper surfaces can inactivate the virulent hospital superbug Clostridium difficile. The University of Southampton team, led by Bill Keevil of the School of Biological Sciences, showed that C.difficile bacteria placed on copper alloy surfaces died within one or two days. On a stainless steel surface, they remained alive after a week. The research findings were published in the Journal of Hospital Infection in February.