A randomised controlled trial (RCT) using manuka honey in the treating of chronic wounds in 108 patients throughout Ireland has found that it may be effective in the treatment of MRSA. More research will now be done to try and confirm this.

The study was carried out by Georgina Gethin, a clinical nurse specialist at Sligo general hospital and a Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI) research fellow, and Professor Seamus Cowman of the RCSI.

The effects of manuka honey in the healing of wounds were compared to the effects of a standard hydrogel over 12 weeks. It was determined that the group treated with honey experienced less infection than the group treated with the standard gel.

Sixteen of the patients had tested positive for MRSA at the beginning of the trial. Ten of those were treated with the medical grade honey while the remaining six were treated with gel. At the end of 12 weeks, all traces of MRSA were gone from seven of the ten patients treated with honey.

"It's very significant. It's the first-ever study treating MRSA with manuka honey and the results were very positive. It's great that we did it in Ireland because of our problems with MRSA, " Gethin said.

The three-year study received funding from the European Wound Management Association and the Health Research Board.

Gethin is to travel to Nashville in the US in October to present the findings, which have received international attention, at a conference.

Gethin will now expand her research into the treating of MRSA-infected wounds and says it is possible it may be used in the future to treat the superbug.

Dr Teresa Graham of the MRSA and Families group welcomed the new research.

"In an MRSA-infected wound, it seems to be effective. It's great that people are looking into this, " she said.

The group is meeting with the taoiseach on Thursday and will make representations for the establishment of a compensation board.

"We are proposing that the government should introduce an alternative to thousands of protracted, expensive legal cases."