Ahlstrom Launches Viralbarrier.com Launches Viralbarrier.com

Ahlstrom Launches Viralbarrier.com Launches Viralbarrier.com

WINDSOR LOCKS, Connecticut, November 25/PRNewswire/ --

- New Internet Resource for Medical Personnel, Hospital Officials
Provides Up-To-Date Information on Key Advancements in Viral Barrier
Protection



Ahlstrom, a leader in high performance fiber-based materials serving
niche markets worldwide, has launched a new Web site designed to provide
information to the medical industry about infection control and the fabrics
that help keep medical personnel safe.


Viralbarrier.com includes the latest information on international
government standards for medical protective apparel and drapes, plus links to
articles from industry trade publications and medical journals on the topic
of infection prevention and control. In addition, noted infection control
authority Dr. Donald Fry of the University of New Mexico Medical Center has
agreed to respond to questions that visitors to the site can pose.


"We wanted to provide medical personnel a clearinghouse of information
about medical fabric development and advancements in infection control," said
Paul A. Marold, General Manager for Medical Fabrics at Ahlstrom. "As one of
the top producers of medical fabrics globally, we felt that providing an
easily accessible resource where anyone could learn more about
infection-prevention fabrics and regulations would benefit medical personnel,
as well as healthcare administrators selecting the materials and fabrics for
use in their operations."


The protection of medical personnel, particularly in surgery settings,
from viral exposure has never been more important. The incidents of viruses
and other infectious diseases such as HIV, MRSA, CJD, Hepatitis and SARS are
increasing throughout the world.


Ahlstrom produces many medical fabrics that are fabricated into sterile
drapes and gowns and for other medical uses. Ahlstrom also produced a new
medical fabric which it calls a Breathable Viral Barrier (BVB). The BVB is a
triple-layer, monolithic fabric that protects medical personnel from viral
infections and maintains a high level of breathability and comfort, even as
the wearer's temperature rises. The BVB's unique construction meets ASTM
F1671 (viral barrier) and the recently introduced FDA PB-70 Level 4 criteria,
with the monolithic technology providing the maximum viral protection
available.



For more information about viral-barrier protection, visit
http://www.viralbarrier.com.

Contact:
Jerome Barrillon, Global Marketing and Communications manager,
Tel: +1-860-654-8607


FiberComposites in brief


Ahlstrom's FiberComposites division manufactures products for engine
filtration, nonwoven and reinforcement composites markets worldwide. Ranked
among the top 10 nonwoven manufacturers, its engineered fabrics are used in
industrial products as well as everyday consumer products, e.g. surgical
gowns, tea bags and wipes. The division is a leading supplier of engine
filtration products to the transport industries. Its expertise in
reinforcement composites, derived mostly from glassfibre, serves the energy,
marine, sporting goods and transport sectors. The FiberComposites division
employs more than 2,600 people, operates from 16 sites in Europe, the
Americas and Asia, and in 2003 had net sales of EUR 645 million.



Ahlstrom in brief


Ahlstrom is a leader in high performance fiber-based materials serving
niche markets worldwide. Our fiber solutions are used in a large variety of
everyday products for the environment, health care, transport, packaging and
home & office. The company whose heritage spans more than 150 years, is
headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, employs approximately 6,500 people and
serves customers with sales networks and production facilities in more than
20 countries on five continents. Today, annual net sales of Ahlstrom's fiber
solutions business are more than EUR 1.5 billion. The company website is
http://www.ahlstrom.com.



Web site: http://www.ahlstrom.com
http://www.viralbarrier.com





Source: Ahlstrom

Jerome Barrillon, Global Marketing and Communications manager, +1-860-654-8607; or Christopher Capot, Public Relations, +1-860-995-4555, both for Ahlstrom


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