antiviral activity in the mouse model of genital herpesvirus infection u201d antiviral chemistry amp chemotherapy 10 327 332 this micronized form of cap was incorporated into sponge like materials made from other cellulose derivatives hydroxypropylmethylcellulose u201c hpmc u201d and or methylcellulose u201c mc u201d by foam generating and freeze drying processes surprisingly it was found not only that micronized cap u201c aquateric u201d can be incorporated into solid foams sponges generated from hpmc and or mc but that such sponges were soft mechanically resilient and thus ideally suitable as bio erodible microbicidal vaginal devices even more surprisingly the cap u201c aquateric u201d not only endows the dried sponges with mechanical resilience but upon bioerosion initiated by exposure to water micronized cap u201c aquateric u201d in its original micronized form is released from the sponges and thus fully exerts its antiviral antimicrobial activities thus incorporation of micronized cap u201c aquateric u201d into the sponges provides not only virucidal and microbicidal properties to the sponges as described for micronized cap hereinbefore but most unexpectedly also provided the sponges with highly desirable mechanical properties without the need for any ingredients other than the aforementioned cellulose derivatives the composition of the foams can be altered by varying the concentrations of cap and of hpmc and mc and their respective viscosities in such a way that the final properties of the sponges are most desirable this also depends on the foaming equipment as well as freeze drying the optimal conditions can be easily determined by those of ordinary skill in the art to further scale up the production of the sponges equipment for foaming and freeze drying described in u s pat no 5 863 553 the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein or any alternative equipment available.