HIRC studies pathogen behaviour

The spread of infectious diseases such as seasonal flu, tuberculosis and swine flu could be significantly reduced by rethinking the design and build of the built environment.

That is the view of researchers investigating how the micro-organisms that cause disease behave in buildings and associated infrastructure.

The team from the Healthy Infrastructure Research Centre (HIRC) at University College London (UCL) is studying the behaviour of pathogens in places such as hospitals and schools and drainage and sewage systems.

The group aims to identify characteristics in building and infrastructure design that encourage diseases to spread. It will then pinpoint changes that can be made to infrastructure, such as design, materials, and maintenance, to restrict pathogens' ability to survive.

Ka man Lai, a UCL environmental health engineer leading the initiative, said: 'It's well known that the infrastructure we rely on has an impact on our health, but understanding in this area is very limited.

'HIRC will therefore explore the role played by air conditioning, ventilation systems, drains, pipes, and the size and layout of rooms, for example, in the transmission of airborne diseases and diseases spread via surface contact.