Viral Definitions

Firstly some terminology:
An epidemic is an outbreak of a given disease more widespread than normal.
A pandemic is an epidemic of international (possibly global) proportions.

All known Influenza pandemics have involved Influenza Type A which is a virus having many different sub-types each with varying degrees of severity in humans. “Bird flu”, “Swine flu”, “Avian Influenza” etc are simply colloquial terms for various sub-types of Influenza type A.
Historically, major Influenza outbreaks have occurred as follows:

• 1918 – “Spanish Flu” pandemic. H1N1 subtype. Unusually severe and possibly the most deadly in human history with up to 100 million deaths.

• 1968–2009 “Hong Kong Flu”; “Bird Flu”. H5N1 subtype. Initially 18 cases with 6 deaths in Hong Kong then outbreaks SE Asia, Turkey, Iraq. 262 deaths in 12 countries to 2009 – virulent but little evidence of human-to-human transmission. 502 reported cases to August 2010 with 298 being fatal.

• 2009-2010 – “Swine Flu” pandemic. H1N1 subtype. Declared by WHO in June 2009 with 214 countries affected by May 2010 involving some 18,138 deaths.

Viral Transmission

Viruses can travel long distances and the Influenza A subtypes in particular have shown a propensity for rapid mutation with potential for human-to-human transmission. The risk of further outbreaks of pandemic influenza is thus significant although governments and commercial organisations worldwide have enacted precautionary plans and in some cases developed effective vaccines.

Equally, sound personal hygiene such as thorough hand washing and disinfection of commonly used surfaces can be very effective defences to viral contamination. Respiratory protection in the form of a facemask, whilst not culturally well-accepted in many countries, is a vital adjunct to those measures when an epidemic or pandemic threatens. Of the facemasks generally available, the VIROGARD masks offer the most practical, effective and economic option.

Virogard Testing

All Virogard Masks will kill Influenza Type A virus, Ecoli and Tuberculosis on contact – not simply trap viable virus on the mask surface or within its fibres.

Antimicrobial testing was carried out at the University of New South Wales, EML Laboratories, and AMS Laboratories. The testing identified excellent effectiveness against biological agents including:

• 99.5% reduction in Staphylococcus aureus after 30 minutes
• 95% reduction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa after 6 hours at 37C
• 99.7% reduction in Candida albicans after 3 hours at 37C
• Market fungicidal property against Aspergillus niger (no quantitative test available)
• 99.9% reduction in Klebsiella Pneumoniae
• 99.79% reduction in E.coli
• 4.2 log reduction in Human Influenza Virus Type A (10-minute test).
• 99.9% reduction in Tuberculosis

Antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal action was not diminished by hot ironing nor by rinsing in water or machine washing 20 times. The Product meets accepted criteria for a disinfectant and viricide according to Australian Therapeutic Goods Order Number 54/54A.

//You can download copies of test results //here or from the link in the right hand column.