Pandemic preparedness and mitigation

John Breedlove, co-founder of Intelagard, evaluates the importance of decontamination in buildings and facilities.

“New technology that will provide on-demand decontamination capabilities is currently being developed and tested”
-John Breedlove

Today's headlines frequently include news about the spread of MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus), and swine flu (or A/H1N1). The MRSA infection is frequently referred to as 'staph'. It is a strain of staph that's resistant to the broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly used to treat it. MRSA can often be fatal, and most MRSA infections occur in hospitals or other healthcare settings, such as nursing homes and dialysis centres.

Influenza A/H1N1 virus is a subtype of influenza virus A and the most common cause of influenza in humans. Some strains of H1N1 cause a large percentage of all seasonal influenza. H1N1 strains caused roughly half of all human flu infections in 2006. Other strains of H1N1 are endemic in pigs (swine influenza) and in birds (avian influenza).

In June 2009, the World Health Organisation declared that flu due to a new strain of swine-origin H1N1 was responsible for the 2009 flu pandemic. This strain is commonly called swine flu by the public media. A strain of Influenza A/H1N1 was also responsible for the 1918 "Spanish Flu" pandemic. The good news is that solutions exist to help mitigate these threats.

Easy DECON DF200

EasyDECON DF200 is a powerful and effective chemical/biological decontamination formulation that's been extensively tested and used by the US and other militaries, as well as other government agencies and industry for a number of applications. Testing facilities include ABC Laboratories (Biodegradation Tests), Battelle Research Institute, the US Marine Corps Systems Command, US Central Command Urgent Needs Requirement Testing, US Naval Surface Warfare Center (NAVSEA Dahlgren Division), Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center, Rice University, US Soldier Biological and Chemical Command, US Environmental Protection Agency, IIT Research Institute, West Desert Test Center (Dugway Proving Ground), and Kansas State University.

Inherently biodegradable, EasyDECON DF200 was used to decontaminate parts of the Hart Senate Building, the Trenton Postal Facility and the Ford and Dirksen buildings of weaponised anthrax. It was also used at Voz Island to kill a number of dangerous pathogens. It is a three-part aqueous based solution that works through an oxidation process. It can be deployed as expanded foam, liquid or as a fog in enclosed spaces. 

EasyDECON DF200 has also been tested and proven effective against MRSA and A/H1N1.  Due to the effectiveness of the DF200 formulation, Sandia National Laboratories tested it against the swine influenza A, H1N1 virus as a surrogate for the avian influenza virus, H5N1. Reduced concentrations of the active ingredients were used for the experiments. A 1:1 ratio of virus to disinfectant was used. The results indicated that even with reduced concentrations of the active ingredients in the formulation, DF200 "is highly effective at complete inactivation of the Influenza A tested in this study, swine H1N1."   

MRSA testing was performed at Microbiotest Laboratory facilities. The Microbiotest report concluded that EasyDECON DF200 was effective at killing MRSA.

Using EasyDECON DF200 as a cleaning agent will kill any existing MRSA and A/H1N1. EasyDECON DF200 has a residual effect that inhibits the return of the organisms as well.

New technology

New technology that will provide on-demand decontamination capabilities is currently being developed and tested. This system can produce Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2) and Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) solutions for the effective decontamination of numerous micro-organisms. The advanced technology allows the user to easily adjust and customise the formularies depending on the specific need. Key benefits of the on-demand technology include the ability to generate highly effective, environmentally benign solutions from dry components and available water sources, greatly reducing logistical burdens. The ability to customise the formulas by adding dispersants, chelants, surfactants and other materials provides maximum flexibility to target the decontamination formula to the incident.

John Breedlove co-founded Intelagard in 1991, and still continues to develop innovative emergency response systems. He is a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear decontamination subject matter expert whose experience with decontamination pre-dates 9/11. Intelagard systems were used in to remediate the anthrax attacks in the Hart Senate Building, Trenton Post Office, Ford Building mailroom and Dirksen Building mailroom.