Hong Kong is applying nano silver-titanium dioxide coating, a disinfectant, to all surfaces inside the city’s subways cars, as well as to escalator handrails, ticket machines, and poles, to reduce instances of flu and other hand-transmissible illnesses. The article says that preliminary tests in Hong Kong have indicated that the disinfectant reduces 60 percent of bacteria. The article says that the disinfectant is applied once every three years and inspected once every eight months. Ben Mascall, a representative of Kong Kong’s railway operator MTR Corp., said that it is still unknown whether the disinfectant is effective against avian flu. According to the article, Dr. John Trainer from the University of Rochester in the U.S. said that this type of disinfectant could become important if person-to-person transmissible strains of avian flu develop. The article says that transportation authorities in London have indicated that they may consider using the disinfectant if it is found to be effective in Hong Kong.
