Germs can survive weeks on fabrics, plastic
By Janet Raloff
Each year, an estimated 2 million patients acquire an infection in a U.S. hospital. Accounting for half of the complications associated with hospitalizations, these infections cost the economy more than $4.5 billion annually.
As germs become increasingly resistant to drugs and therefore harder to fight, prevention of infections becomes ever-more important. A new study points out one reason why this has proved so difficult. Infective microbes can linger for unexpectedly long periods on dry surfaces, such as fabrics and plastics.