A mine employee shows a piece of copper ore at the Kilembe mines
A mine employee shows a piece of copper ore at the Kilembe mines, in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, 497km (309 miles) west of Uganda's capital Kampala, January 31, 2013. The Kilembe copper-cobalt mine operated from 1956 to 1972, when it closed due to a drop in world copper prices and now lay in ruins. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has promised to rehabilitate the Kilembe mines. Reuters/James Akena

A recent study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology, has found that surfaces containing copper can kill human norovirus, a widespread virus that has caused stomach flu worldwide. Copper surfaces, vessels, and utensils, as well as those made of bronze, including doorknobs and handrails, can help kill the virus, which has been described as a global scourge, the report added.

"Human norovirus is an unusually infectious microbe that causes stomach flu, including copious vomiting and diarrhea. It is a major problem on cruise ships, in restaurants, and in elder care homes, where the disease is easily transmitted by environmental contamination," Clyde Manuel, a doctoral student of North Carolina State University, Raleigh, was quoted as saying by Medical Xpress.

"This is the first study to demonstrate copper's destructive powers against human norovirus," said Manuel.

Norovirus is a common cause of gastroenteritis or stomach flu. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the very contagious virus has resulted to at least 600 deaths annually in the United States. It has also caused 19-21 million infections and can pose serious health risks to children and adults.

Previous studies established that copper can kill a range of bacteria that cause disease in humans, including stomach ailments, pneumonia, meningitis, and skin infections, among others. But this is the first study to record copper's effectiveness in killing a virus. To perform the study, the authors used five different copper alloys and stainless steel as a control surface, each of which was cut into piece the size of a coupon. The authors then applied either a virus sample, or a virus-like sample, such as the shell of a virus, which has the same surface properties but are easier to produce than a complete virus, to perform the study.

"We deposited either human fecal samples containing infectious virus, or virus-like particles onto each coupon, and then tested survival of virus at various time points," said Manuel. The result: "A variety of copper surfaces had a major impact on the virus, whereas the virus was very stable on stainless steel surfaces."

Previous researches revealed that copper has many health uses. Its use in treatment dates back thousands of years, from treating wounds to preventing other illnesses by being integrated in medicines for arthritis and epilepsy. Copper also plays a large role in everyday modern living, and is considered one of the oldest used metals. It is also used as a conductor of heat and electricity and is also widely used in architectural materials. The metal is eco-friendly as it is 100 percent recyclable.

Copper is mined as copper sulfides from large open pit mines, with Chile being a key producer. Other countries mining copper are Russia, Indonesia and Peru.

New companies are also becoming known in the copper exploration industry. Amur Minerals Corporation (London AIM:AMC) is one of them. Its principal asset is the Kun-Manie sulphide nickel-copper project that is located in Amur Oblast in Russia’s far eastern region.

To contact the writer, email: vittoriohernandez@yahoo.com