CERTIFICATE OF ANTI-BACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL CAPABILITY
A fabric’s anti-bacterial capacity is defined by its ability to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms (its bacteriostatic and/or its fungistatic ability) or by its ability to eliminate certain micro-organisms which are present in a particular environment (its bactericidal/fungicidal capability).
The use of textiles in healthcare and hospitals and for personal hygiene is of huge importance. The use of the right active agents against the commonest micro-organisms in a particular environment converts these articles into a prevention mechanism against a range of nosocomial infections (contracted by a patient during hospitalisation), e.g. methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-MRSA).
It is preferable for these articles to be bacteriostatic or fungistatic rather than anti-bacterial or fungicidal, to prevent the evolution of resistant strains.