Guest guest Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 STERIS VHP® Technology Addresses Decontamination Needs in Region Impacted by Hurricane Katrina (javascript:void(0)) (javascript:void(0)) (javascript:void(0)) (http://www.prnewswire.com/rss/main.shtml) (http://studio.financialcontent.com/Engine?Account=prnewswire & PageName=QUOTE & Tic\ ker=STE) (http://www.steris.com/) Special Regulatory Exemptions Received To Help Restore Critical Infrastructure Ambulance and Surgical Suite Decontamination Service In Progress MENTOR, Ohio, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- STERIS Corporation (NYSE: _STE_ (http://studio.financialcontent.com/Engine?Account=prnewswire & PageName=QUOTE & Tic\ ker=STE) ) today announced that its patented vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP®) technology is being used to provide decontamination services for emergency response vehicles, facilities and equipment potentially contaminated with a broad range of pathogens as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Use of STERIS VHP decontamination technology was granted under Special Local Needs Exemptions from the states of Mississippi and Louisiana, in conjunction with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The flood waters and unsanitary conditions resulting from the hurricane are causing persistent and serious public health risks in the Gulf States region. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the EPA confirmed the presence in the hurricane region of a multitude of infectious pathogens including molds, Vibrio vulnificus, E. coli, enteroviruses, and many opportunistic pathogens. Numerous deaths resulting from Vibrio spp. infections including V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus were reported. Proper decontamination of emergency vehicles, facilities, equipment and other assets provides a safer environment and reduces the health risks associated with these pathogens. STERIS has completed decontamination services for a Mississippi hospital that was forced to close six surgical suites due to contamination. The hospital required a fast and effective method of simultaneously decontaminating the surgical suites and the sensitive medical and electronic equipment contained within the surgical areas. The surgical suites are now back in operation. STERIS's VHP technology, a low-temperature, dry process that rapidly and effectively eliminates pathogenic organisms including bacteria, fungi and viruses, has been used successfully for more than a decade by the pharmaceutical and research industries. The VHP antimicrobial breaks down into the environmentally friendly by-products water vapor and oxygen. STERIS also provided decontamination services for ambulances used in the affected areas that were found by independent microbiological testing to have high levels of bacteria and fungi present due to the conditions in the region. The ambulance provider sought out STERIS's unique decontamination process that has been shown to be compatible with sensitive equipment and effective throughout the ambulance. STERIS noted that it continues to provide its decontamination expertise to government agencies and disaster response companies in the region and believes that its technologies can be more fully utilized to aid in the recovery effort. The Company is working in conjunction with Major Incident Response, Inc., a division of Strategix, LLC, an international developer, manufacturer, distributor and provider of disaster response products and services, to deliver decontamination services in the Gulf States region. In addition to providing decontamination services, STERIS remains focused on providing its surgical, critical care and sterile processing products and services to the hospitals that have been impacted by the hurricane. Company representatives are helping these hospitals assess and revitalize their operations and restore standard operating conditions as quickly as possible. " We stand ready to work with both the public and private sectors in applying our VHP decontamination technology along with our other products, expertise and services for rehabilitation of hospitals, ambulances and other critical assets in the Gulf States region, " said STERIS president and chief executive officer, Les C. Vinney. " The recovery efforts here present some never-before-seen challenges and we believe our leading edge technologies and capabilities can play a role in helping return this region to a level of normalcy. " To learn more about STERIS Decontamination Services, please call 800-333-8828. About STERIS The mission of STERIS Corporation is to provide a healthier today and safer tomorrow through knowledgeable people and innovative infection prevention, decontamination and health science technologies, products and services. The Company's more than 5,000 dedicated employees around the world work together to supply a broad array of solutions by offering a combination of equipment, consumables and services to healthcare, pharmaceutical, industrial and government customers. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol STE. For more information, visit _http://www.steris.com_ (http://www.steris.com/) . This news release may contain statements concerning certain trends, expectations, forecasts, estimates, or other forward-looking information affecting or relating to the Company or its industry that are intended to qualify for the protections afforded " forward-looking statements " under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other laws and regulations. Forward-looking statements speak only as to the date of this release, and may be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as " may, " " will, " " expects, " " believes, " " anticipates, " " plans, " " estimates, " " projects, " " targets, " " forecasts, " and " seeks, " or the negative of such terms or other variations on such terms or comparable terminology. Many important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including, without limitation, disruption of production or supplies, changes in market conditions, political events, pending or future claims or litigation, competitive factors, technology advances, and changes in government regulations or the application or interpretation thereof. Other risk factors are described in the Company's Form 10-K and other securities filings. Many of these important factors are outside STERIS's control. No assurances can be provided as to any future financial results. Unless legally required, the Company does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements even if events make clear that any projected results, express or implied, will not be realized. Other potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, (a) the potential for increased pressure on pricing or raw material cost that leads to erosion of profit margins, ( the possibility that market demand will not develop for new technologies, products or applications, or the Company's business initiatives will take longer, cost more or produce lower benefits than anticipated, © the possibility that application of or compliance with laws, court rulings, regulations, certifications or other requirements or standards may delay or prevent new product introductions, affect the production and marketing of existing products, or otherwise affect Company performance, results, or value, (d) the potential of international unrest or effects of fluctuations in foreign currencies of countries where the Company does a sizeable amount of business, and (e) the possibility of reduced demand, or reductions in the rate of growth in demand, for the Company's products and services. This information does not supersede or modify product labeling, instructions, user manuals or other Company technical literature or product clearances or approvals. No results are guaranteed and actual results may vary for those described herein. Customers and users are advised to follow product user manuals and other applicable published instructions and warnings, assure proper operator training, and contact STERIS Corporation with any technical, operational, maintenance, use, handling or other questions. SOURCE STERIS Corporation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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