The University of Arizona revealed the findings from a recent study commissioned by PurThread Technologies, Inc., on the antimicrobial capabilities of novel fabrics embedded with silver at IDWeekTM on Oct. 11 in Philadelphia. In the study, PurThread’s silver-embedded fabrics were shown to kill 99.99 percent of bacteria such as MRSA, Salmonella, E. coli and P. acnes within four hours of contact.

"It is impressive to see this sort of activity in such a short time frame for an antimicrobial fabric,” said Charles Gerba, professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona and lead researcher on the study. “PurThread fabrics are some of the most active we have ever tested and we look forward to working with them on other studies."

Silver has been used to fight bacteria for centuries and has been used to provide antimicrobial properties to fabrics for over a decade. However, many antimicrobial fabrics apply silver topically as a coating or dip, rendering it susceptible to washing off, wearing away, or having inconsistent application. Others weave the silver in, leading to changes in the fabric’s texture. PurThread is the first to embed safe silver salt into the fiber itself, yielding intrinsic antimicrobial benefits that don’t wash off or wear away for the life of the fabric and that don’t change the fabric’s physical characteristics.

“We are pleased to have our antimicrobial efficacy validated by such a highly regarded research laboratory,” said Lisa Grimes, CEO of PurThread Technologies. “PurThread is committed to bringing the best and most effective solutions to markets that can benefit from high performing, durable antimicrobial protection, from healthcare to activewear to the military. These days, that list just keeps growing.”

Held by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), IDWeek brings together health professionals of varied backgrounds for the improvement of patient care and public health. Please visit IDWeek’s website for more information about the conference.

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