Copper never looked so good

You know all those pennies gathering dusk on your bedside table? Well, you may have a new use for them. Researchers in the UK have found that they may have some value in preventing the spread of the flu. When placed on surfaces made of pure copper, samples of type A influenza viruses (the type that includes the much hyped H5N1 "bird flu") dramatically decline and are 99.99% eliminated within 6 hours. In contrast, virus populations on stainless steel surfaces decline by only 50% in the same amount of time.

The point? Surface contamination can be a significant factor in the spread of disease. The use of copper on communal surfaces (e.g., counters, tables, door frames) could help reduce disease transmission.

Metals have long been used for the treatment or prevention of infectious disease. For many decades, both before and after the rise of antibiotics, syphilis was treated primarily with mercury. Colloidal silver (silver dissolved in water) supposedly has some antimicrobial properties. However, as one former Senate candidate found, long term use can turn your skin blue.

[Many thanks to ScienceDaily]