On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization declared an H1N1 pandemic, marking the first global pandemic since 1968

"Microbecide™ with its EPA-registered active ingredient is proving to be a remarkably effective health defense against Avian, Influenza A and Bird Flu viruses that have now converged into the A/H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus."

Effective Against A/H1N1

In May, 2009 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a list of antimicrobial products effective against the 2009 H1N1 flu strain. This list included silver ion-based antimicrobials.

In June, 2009 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a new regulation establishing Microbecide's active ingredient, a particular form of silver ion technology registered by the EPA, as an active ingredient for the sanitizing of food contact surfaces. (Full document)

In June, 2009 the WHO declared H1N1 a global pandemic.

Virus Testing

Until the sudden appearance of the A/H1N1 virus, few manufacturers had a need to test against the Swine Influenza virus. Practically all manufacturers tested against the Human influenza virus, and a few successfully tested against the Avian Influenza virus.  For clinical testing, few manufacturers had access to specimens of viral microorganisms.

Located in Singapore with strong ties across ASEAN, we were fortunate to have access to viral specimens as well as testing capabilities that many manufacturers lacked.

Microbecide™ was tested against the Human Influenza A virus and in March, 2009 we took the additional step of submitting Microbecide™ for testing against the H5N1 virus, posting the test results on this website.

We submitted Microbecide™ for testing against the A/H1N1 virus and will publish the test report on our website upon completion.

4 Different Viruses

Commonly called "swine flu" or A/H1N1, the virus has been found to be made up of genetic elements from four different flu viruses – North American Mexican influenza, North American avian influenza, human influenza, and swine influenza virus typically found in Asia and Europe.

This new strain appears to be a result of reassortment of human influenza and swine influenza viruses, in all four different strains of subtype H1N1.  The six genes from American swine flu are themselves mixtures of swine flu, bird flu, and human flu viruses.

Human Flu

Human flu is a term used to refer to influenza cases caused by Orthomyxoviridae that are endemic to human populations. For an infection to be endemic, each subject (human or animal) when infected with the disease must pass it on to exactly one other subject (on average).  For example, chickenpox is endemic in the UK, but malaria is not.

Most human flu is a non-pandemic flu that is slightly different from the main human flu that existed in last year's flu season period. This type of flu is also called "common flu" or "seasonal flu" or "annual flu". It causes yearly flu epidemics that are generally not deadly except to the very old or very young.

Influenza Viruses

Human flu-causing viruses can belong to any of three major influenza-causing Orthomyxoviruses:

• Influenzavirus C infects humans and pigs and is rare compared to types A or B, but can be severe and can cause local epidemics. Yearly vaccines do not vaccinate against type C.
• Influenzavirus B viruses are only known to infect humans and seals, giving them influenza. This limited host range is apparently responsible for the lack of Influenzavirus B caused influenza pandemics in contrast with those caused by Influenzavirus A.
• Influenzavirus A is the cause of all flu pandemics infecting humans, other mammals and birds.

Influenza A virus strains are categorized according to two proteins found on the surface of the virus: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N).  All influenza A viruses contain hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, but the structure of these proteins differ from strain to strain due to rapid genetic mutation in the viral genome.

H and N Numbers

Influenza A virus strains are assigned an H number and an N number based on which forms of these two proteins the strain contains. There are 16 H and 9 N subtypes known in birds, but only H1, H2, H3 and N1, N2 are commonly found in humans.

The Influenza A virus subtype H1N1, also known as A(H1N1), is a subtype of influenza virus A and the most common cause of influenza (flu) in humans. H1N1 influenza A strains caused roughly half of all human flu infections in 2006. Other strains of H1N1 are endemic in pigs (swine influenza) and in birds (avian influenza).  

H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2 are the only known Influenza A virus subtypes currently circulating among humans.

Subtypes

The Influenza A virus subtypes that have been confirmed in humans, ordered by the number of known human pandemic deaths, are:

• H1N1 caused "Spanish Flu" and a reassortment caused 2009 swine flu outbreak
• H2N2 caused "Asian Flu"
• H3N2 caused "Hong Kong Flu"
• H5N1 "The Bird Flu" was the world's major influenza pandemic threat until the Swine Flu Pandemic of 2009
• H7N7 has unusual zoonotic potential
• H1N2 is currently endemic in humans and pigs
• H9N2, H7N2, H7N3, H10N7.

H1N1

H1N1 is currently endemic in both human and pig populations. A variant of H1N1 was responsible for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed some 50 million to 100 million people worldwide over a period of about a year in 1918 and 1919.

H2N2

The Asian Flu was a pandemic outbreak of H2N2 avian influenza that originated in China in 1957, spread worldwide that same year during which an influenza vaccine was developed, lasted until 1958 and caused between one and four million deaths.

H3N2

H3N2 is currently endemic in both human and pig populations. It evolved from H2N2 by antigenic shift and caused the Hong Kong Flu pandemic of 1968 and 1969 that killed up to 750,000. The dominant strain of annual flu in January 2006 was H3N2.

H5N1

H5N1 was the world's major influenza pandemic threat until the Swine Flu Epidemic of 2009--a new strain of H1N1.

H7N7

H7N7 In 2003 in the Netherlands 89 people were confirmed to have H7N7 influenza virus infection following an outbreak in poultry on several farms. One death was recorded.

H1N2

H1N2 is currently endemic in both human and pig populations. The new H1N2 strain appears to have resulted from the reassortment of the genes of the currently circulating influenza H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes. The hemagglutinin protein of the H1N2 virus is similar to that of the currently circulating H1N1 viruses and the neuraminidase protein is similar to that of the current H3N2 viruses.

H9N2

A low pathogenic avian influenza A (H9N2) infection was confirmed in 1999, in China and Hong Kong in two children, and in 2003 in Hong Kong in one child.

H7N2

One person in New York, USA in 2003 and one person in Virginia, USA in 2002 were found to have serologic evidence of infection with H7N2.

H7N3

In North America, the presence of avian influenza strain H7N3 was confirmed at several poultry farms in British Columbia in February 2004. In April 2004, 18 farms were quarantined to halt the spread of the virus. Two cases of humans with avian influenza were confirmed in that region.

H10N7

Microbecide's EPA Approved Active Ingredient Combats A/H1N1 (Swine Flu) Virus

With the possibility of dangerous pandemics looming (Swine Flu, SARS, Bird Flu, HFMD), and antibiotic resistant superbugs (EV71, MRSA, VRE) on the rise, institutions, companies and individuals are faced with the dilemma of how to protect their employees and families from infectious disease without exposing them to toxic chemicals.

Microbecide™ with its EPA-registered active ingredient, silver ions in solution, is non-toxic to humans and pets, but fatal to Avian, Influenza A and Bird Flu viruses now converging into Swine Flu (H1N1) virus.

Person-to-person transmission of flu occurs mainly through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with the flu viruses on it and then touching their mouths or noses.

According to the CDC, person-to-person transmission of flu occurs mainly through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with the flu viruses on it and then touching their mouths or noses.

Microbecide's active ingredient has been registered by the EPA specifically for use on children's toys, cribs, high chairs and other sensitive areas of the home as well as for use on hard surfaces in multitudes of environments, including hospitals, schools and offices.

Microbecide™ disinfectant is effective against both Human and Avian Influenza A, our manufacturing capability in Singapore has the capacity to react not only to the needs locally but also abroad to supply a much needed preventative solution should the current outbreak become pandemic.

Microbecide™ is sold through a variety of distributors and retail outlets in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia.

Microbecide™ provides a 30-second kill and 24-hour residual protection against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella choleraesuis. Notable viral efficacy claims include a 3-minute kill against Human Corona virus (SARS surrogate) and Rotavirus and a 10-minute kill against Norovirus, Human Influenza A and Avian Influenza A (Bird Flu). Microbecide is odorless, colorless, non-corrosive, non-flammable and compatible with other disinfecting and cleaning compounds.

US FDA News

FDA, FTC Warn Public of Fraudulent 2009 H1N1 Influenza Products
Offending web sites and illegal activity targeted for action

“Consumers who purchase products to treat the novel 2009 H1N1 virus that are not approved, cleared or authorized by the FDA for the treatment or prevention of influenza risk their health and the health of their families,” said Michael Chappell, acting FDA Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs. “In conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission, the FDA has developed an aggressive strategy to identify, investigate, and take regulatory or criminal action against individuals or businesses that wrongfully promote purported 2009 H1N1 influenza products in an attempt to take advantage of the current flu public health emergency.”

Products that are offered for sale to the public with claims to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat, or cure infections caused by the H1N1 influenza virus that have not  been proven to be safe and effective for these uses must be carefully evaluated. Many of these deceptive products are being sold over the Internet via illegitimate web sites. The operators of these web sites take advantage of the public’s concerns about H1N1 influenza and their desire to protect themselves and their families.  These fraudulent products come in all varieties and could include dietary supplements or other food products, or products purporting to be drugs, devices or vaccines.  Such fraudulent products will not prevent the transmission of the virus or offer effective treatments against infections caused by the H1N1 influenza virus.

“The last thing any consumer needs right now is to be conned by someone selling fraudulent flu remedies,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.  “The FTC will act swiftly against companies that resort to deceptive advertising.”

Consumers are urged to contact their health care providers or legitimate medical supply services if they have questions or concerns about medical products or personal protective equipment. Consumers are also urged to visit the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web sites for more information about this emergency, and to determine which products the FDA has approved, cleared or authorized for use to diagnose, treat, prevent, mitigate or cure infections caused by H1N1 influenza virus. 

The two antiviral drugs approved by the FDA for treatment and prophylaxis of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus are Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) and Relenza (zanamivir).  Tamiflu and Relenza, in addition to their approved labeling, have Emergency Use Authorizations that describe specific authorized uses during this public health emergency.

At present, there are no licensed vaccines approved for this new H1N1 influenza virus.

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Protect with Microbecide™
Kills Influenza A Bird Flu SARS HFMD HIV Herpes Fast!

Active ingredients:
Silver ions in solution US EPA Reg No. 70404-9