Can Salted Doorknobs Prevent Superbug Infections?

Over the last millennium, salt has undergone a major status shift, from exotic delicacy that drove humans to war to kitchen condiment taken so for granted that 90 percent of Americans consume too much of it without even trying. But new research suggests that salt may be on the verge of yet another reinvention—this time in the world of disease control.

Superbugs like Methicillin-resistant , orMRSA, have wreaked havoc on the health-care system in recent years. Drug-resistant infections, which include superbugs, are for more than 700,000 deaths globally. Another option is to coat those frequently fondled objects most likely to carry the bugs—doorknobs, bed rails, toilet handles—with a special anti-microbial surface, like copper. This approach is increasingly popular, but time is of the essence when it comes to preventing the spread of disease, and MRSA has been shown to even on copper for several hours.