Researchers in Bradford will be investigating the effects of humidity on hospital superbugs, such as E. coli, using one of the largest known biological test chambers in the world.
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 that 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, is 80m3 in size. It 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 explained: “Approximately one in ten patients pick up an infection during a hospital stay. While hand washing and other hygiene measures are vital, evidence suggests these measures alone are not always enough to prevent certain infections and therefore a fresh approach is needed. We know 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.”
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 BIG, said: “The biological impact of changes in room humidity on different pathogens is still poorly understood. This is an important, much overlooked subject which may hold the key to future improvements in ward cleanliness.”
