Engineering may be the key to curbing swine flu

A team of UCL experts led by Ka Man Lai (UCL Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering) is investigating how revolutionising the design and building of our living spaces could dramatically reduce the spread of swine flu and other infectious diseases. Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), researchers at UCL's new 'Healthy Infrastructure Research Centre' (HIRC), are studying the behaviour of micro-organisms called 'pathogens' that cause diseases in places such as hospitals, schools and drainage and sewage systems. The research centre aims to spot characteristics in building and infrastructure design that encourage diseases to spread,and to pinpoint changes that can be made to design, materials and maintenance to restrict pathogens? ability to survive and move around. Ka man Lai 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. 'My vision is that, within the next ten years, we will completely transform infrastructure function, design and construction and so create a new disease-resistant environment fit for the 21st century. We hope that, within three years, HIRC will start generating insights and recommendations leading directly to healthier infrastructure.' Every year, infectious diseases (such as seasonal flu, tuberculosis, hospital 'superbugs' and most recently swine flu) affect millions of people around the world.