Figure 1.

(a) Ward layout with three cubicles, and each cubicle consisting of six bed-units. Experiments and environmental sampling were conducted in Cubicle A, as it is separated from the other two cubicles and relatively remote from the sluice room, bathrooms, and toilets. On all sampling days the MRSA patients occupied Bed-unit 1 at the far end. (b) Experimental schedule for the study and control arms and to illustrate 6 weeks were required for the whole experiment because there was a week washing out period after each sampling day, in order to avoid the carry-over effects (if any) of the JUC spray.