South Dakota irrigation - South Dakota

Super-Strong Paint Kills Superbugs

April 16, 2009 -- A team of South Dakota scientists has invented a new super-paint strong enough to kill superbugs that infect hospital patients and kill thousands of people annually, says a new report.

The paint, which is designed to decorate and disinfect homes, businesses, and health care settings, kills disease-causing bacteria, mold, fungi, and viruses, according to research published in the American Chemical Society’s journal, Applied Materials & Interfaces .

University of South Dakota researchers Yuyu Sun, PhD, and Zhengbing Cao, PhD, say the paint is the most powerful to date and shows promise as a killer of antibiotic-resistant microbes that infect hospital surfaces and cause about 88,000 deaths in the U.S. every year.

The researchers say the paint provides “potent antimicrobial activities” against dangerous bugs, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , or MRSA , which has become a major problem in health care settings and the community.