▁are ▁highly ▁trans miss ible ▁and ▁dur able . ▁This ▁is ▁of ▁extreme ▁importance ▁to ▁those ▁concerned ▁with ▁reducing ▁the ▁inc idence ▁of ▁hospital - ac quired ▁MR SA ▁in fe ctions . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁after ▁evalu ating ▁a ▁wide ▁body ▁of ▁research ▁mand ated ▁specifically ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Environment al ▁Prote ction ▁Agency ▁( E PA ), ▁registration ▁appro val s ▁were ▁granted ▁by ▁E PA ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁grant ing ▁that ▁co pper ▁allo ys ▁kill ▁more ▁than ▁ 9 9 . 9 % ▁of ▁MR SA ▁within ▁two ▁hours . ▁ ▁Sub sequ ent ▁research ▁conducted ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁South am pton ▁( UK ) ▁compared ▁the ▁ant im icro b ial ▁eff ica cies ▁of ▁co pper ▁and ▁several ▁non - co pper ▁propriet ary ▁co ating ▁products ▁to ▁kill ▁MR SA . ▁At ▁ 2 0   ° C , ▁the ▁drop - off ▁in ▁MR SA ▁organ isms ▁on ▁co pper ▁al loy ▁C 1 1 0 0 0 ▁is ▁dram atic ▁and ▁almost ▁complete ▁( over ▁ 9 9 . 9 % ▁kill ▁rate ) ▁within ▁ 7 5 ▁minutes . ▁However , ▁neither ▁a ▁tr ic los an - based ▁product ▁nor ▁two ▁silver - based ▁ant im icro b ial ▁treat ments ▁( Ag - A ▁and ▁Ag - B ) ▁exhib ited ▁any ▁meaning ful ▁effic acy ▁against ▁MR SA . ▁St ain less ▁steel ▁S 3 0 4 0 0 ▁did