BG’s hygeia range of electrical accessories made in Polygiene™, a new antimicrobial compound, kills MRSA

Electrical switches and sockets made by U.K. company BG Electrical Ltd incorporate a special compound, proven to kill the MRSA ‘superbug,’ the SARS virus, and numerous types of virulent bacteria, as well as yeasts and molds.

BG has just launched the hygeia range of ‘enhanced electrical accessories’ incorporating a new material called Polygiene. This is an amino compound containing a silver nitrate additive that independent tests have shown to kill MRSA in a matter of hours. Polygiene is produced by Perstorp Compounds, which is an established supplier to manufacturers of electrical components. These enhanced electrical accessories are intended primarily for the healthcare, catering, education, leisure and other public sectors, as well as for domestic use.

Polygiene releases silver ions that attach themselves to the bacteria or virus, incapacitating them and preventing them from growing or reproducing. Unlike some other antibacterial agents, it is inorganic, and does not lead to allergic skin reactions.

Products made in Polygiene differ from other antibacterial products in that the active ingredient is distributed uniformly throughout the moulding. This means that it cannot wear off, and surface damage has no effect. Nor does the efficancy of Polygiene deteriorate over time.

MRSA can resist even the latest antibiotics. Wiping it away using even the most thorough cleaning procedures is extremely difficult. But tests recently carried out at Milan University’s Institute of Microbiology showed that it is killed within 24 hours of contact with products made in Polygiene (see graph).

Bacteria and yeast known to be eliminated by Polygiene include: Escheria Coli, Salmonella Typhi, Enterococcus Faecalis, Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Proteus Vulgaris, Pseudomonas Aeruginasa, Streptococcus Pyogenes and Candida Albicans.

David Weatherstone, product manager of BG Electrical Accessories’ headquarters in Ashford, Kent, says Polygiene has surpassed all his expectations. “The fact that it works against such a wide range of bacteria ans the SARS virus is remarkable,” he says.

The hygeia range is the latest in a growing list of products that are making use of Polygiene’s exceptional antibacterial properties. Earlier this year, another U.K. company, Celmac, launched a range of bathroom accessories targeted at the healthcare market. Perstorp is also targeting the material at other high contact areas including door handles, handrails as well as floor and surface solutions in public facilities where diseases can easily be indirectly transferred from one person to another.

Polygiene is registered trademarks of Perstorp, AB.