"This is especially true if the dressing is soaked with wound fluid, which can increase the time the virus survives in the dressing. When an infected wound's dressing is changed, pathogens within the dressing are potentially made airborne, increasing the risk of infection to those in the immediate vicinity. Wound care patients also run the risk of being infected by a virus as their dressings are changed. The H1N1 virus can be transmitted from the wound dressings to the hands of healthcare workers, while small airborne droplets of wound fluid with H1N1 can be inhaled by doctors, nurses or patients," said Gregory Schultz, Ph.D, a Professor at the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Institute for Wound Research in Gainesville, FL.

"From a global perspective, hospitals and other healthcare facilities are beginning to adhere to strict infection prevention programs, and this laboratory report provides timely evidence that special attention needs to be paid to wound care during this season's influenza pandemic. BIOGUARD?„? dressings may play a significant role in helping to curb the virus," said Edward J. Quilty, Chairman and CEO of Derma Sciences. Quilty added that the use of BIOGUARD?„? dressings involve virtually no chance of resistance, making the dressing ideal for widespread prophylactic usage. "Given the rising costs of healthcare around the world, BIOGUARD?„? can be seen as a global brand to cost-effectively reduce the spread of pathogens including bacteria such as MRSA, and viruses such as the H1N1."