Byotrol helps hurricane victims

Byotrol, a British antimicrobial technology firm that developed a technology to help hospitals stop the spread of drug-resistant super bugs such as MRSA, is set to play a key role helping New Orleans' homeowners and businesses in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Developed from technology employed in a number of applications in the food processing, healthcare and industrial sectors, it has launched a cleaning and deodorising spray designed to clean and remove mould and mildew stains and eliminate the odours associated with stagnant and polluted water in flooded premises – issues that represent a major problem in New Orleans. The technology works for extended periods after application, has extremely low toxicity and prevents resistance being developed by micro-organisms. It can be applied using hand-held garden sprays, sponges or mops, and used on most fabrics, carpets and walls. It has a three-stage effect on micro-organisms, using changes in surface tension as the basis for its attack on bacteria. Deadly for bugs, but harmless for humans and animals, it interferes with the conditioning of a surface before the micro-organism lands, making it difficult for the micro-organism to settle and reproduce as its secretion compounds — proteins, polysaccharides or oily type materials — are disrupted by the pervading surface tension regime. Finally, the weakened bug is killed by the action of the associated biocides contained within Byotrol.