Here what I've found on a french web site www.nuvi-colloidal.com about antimicrobial effect of silver particle
(1) Synthesis and antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles with different sizes G. A. Martı ́nez-Castan ̃o ́nÆN. Nin ̃o-Martı ́nezÆF. Martı ́nez-GutierrezÆJ. R. Martı ́nez-Mendoza Facundo Ruiz
(2) Panacek A, Kvıtek L, Prucek R, Kolar M, Vecerova R, Pizurova N, Sharma VK, Tat’jana N, Zboril Z (2006) Silver colloid nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and their anti-bacterial activity. J Phys Chem B 110:16248–16243
(7) Morones JR, Elechiguerra JL, Camacho A, Holt K, Kouri JB, Ramırez JT, Yacaman MJ (2005) The bactericidal effect of silver nanoparticles. Nanotechnology 16:2346–2353
(8) Pal S, Tak YK, Song JM (2007) Does the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles depend on the shape of the nanoparticle? A study of the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. Appl Environ Microbiol 73:1712–1720