Infection Control News and Research

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Ecoflex skin replicas offer new tool for studying infection risks from intravenous catheters

In the holiday movie "The Grinch," makeup artists are reported to have spent several hours each day encasing Jim Carrey's face with prosthetics to create the iconic grumpy, green-furred creature.

17 Dec 2024

Skin as an immune hero: Fighting infections with self-made antibodies

Researchers uncover how the skin autonomously produces antibodies through specialized immune structures, maintaining microbial balance and preventing infections.

12 Dec 2024

CHOP study shows safety of rotavirus vaccine in neonatal intensive care unit

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that transmission of rotavirus vaccine strains in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is rare and without clinical consequences, strongly suggesting that giving the rotavirus vaccine to eligible infants during their hospitalization provides immune benefits that outweigh any risks.

9 Dec 2024

Advanced modeling unveils hidden costs of global chikungunya infection

The health and financial implications of the emerging threat of mosquito-borne chikungunya viral infection have most likely been significantly underestimated, with total costs probably approaching US$ 50 billion in 2011-20 alone, suggests a comprehensive data analysis, published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

4 Dec 2024

Reinstating masking curbs hospital viral outbreaks, study confirms

Researchers investigate how changes in hospital policies for SARS-CoV-2 testing and masking have influenced hospital-acquired respiratory viral infections.

1 Dec 2024

Researchers explore the power of podcasts in fighting infectious disease misinformation

With legacy media cutting staff in the face of unprecedented financial challenges and critical science and health information scattered among unfamiliar digital platforms, how can people keep up with medical issues that might affect them?

27 Nov 2024

Study projects global antibiotic use to rise by over 50% by 2030

A study reveals a 20.9% rise in global antibiotic use from 2016 to 2023, with middle-income countries leading the increase and highlighting resistance issues.

21 Nov 2024

Enhanced screening protocols for Candida auris improve hospital infection control

Mount Sinai researchers have enhanced hospital screening protocols for Candida auris, an often-drug-resistant fungal pathogen the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers an urgent global health threat.

1 Nov 2024

New toolkit aims to help U.S. hospitals spot deadly viral hemorrhagic fevers faster and safer

Researchers develop a laboratory toolkit to assist frontline healthcare facilities or the care of patients with suspected viral hemorrhagic fevers.

30 Oct 2024

Diagnostic toolkit aims to improve response to Marburg virus cases

Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHF) such as Marburg virus disease have been in the news recently, with more than 60 cases of Marburg confirmed in Rwanda.

26 Oct 2024

Floor swabbing offers new insights for COVID-19 monitoring

COVID-19 is here to stay. As restrictions and human testing have waned, new research is tackling the challenge of how we can monitor, predict, and prevent cases and outbreaks of COVID-19, especially among vulnerable groups like hospitalized patients.

22 Oct 2024

Assessing and addressing IP staffing needs in a pediatric setting

A new paper published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) describes efforts at a major children's hospital to assess and fulfill its staffing needs for infection prevention and control, highlighting the challenges of allocating sufficient resources to this important role.

17 Oct 2024

Pilot study shows impact of infection control staffing shortages on patient safety

Inadequate infection prevention and control staffing levels are associated with higher rates of healthcare-associated infections, according to a new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control.

10 Oct 2024

New research highlights the impact of stigma on health equity

A new article published in Nature Reviews Disease Primers underscores the profound role that stigma can play in health care -- and how addressing stigma-related barriers can significantly improve health outcomes for individuals and communities around the world.

7 Oct 2024

Enhancing the adoption of pragmatic clinical trial results in healthcare systems

A new thought piece led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute with collaborators from Duke University and Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute highlights the challenges facing healthcare researchers and decision makers in the quest to improve population health in a constantly evolving healthcare landscape.

3 Oct 2024

Global fight against antimicrobial resistance sees surge in deaths among older adults

Comprehensive study estimates the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) burden from 1990 to 2021, identifying significant age and regional disparities. It highlights future AMR death projections and underscores the importance of prevention and new antibiotic development.

19 Sep 2024

Study shows effectiveness of colored disinfectant wipes

A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) reports a comparison of hospital room cleanliness using standard disinfectant wipes versus wipes with a color additive that allows users to see which surfaces have been sanitized. With the color additive, rooms were 69.2% cleaner and were able to be cleaned in slightly less time compared to cleaning with standard wipes. The study was performed at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn.

19 Sep 2024

Antibiotic resistance threatens millions of lives worldwide

More than 39 million people around the world could die from antibiotic-resistant infections over the next 25 years, according to a study published in The Lancet.

18 Sep 2024

Hospital discharges linked to higher MRSA risk for family members

Family members of patients recently discharged from the hospital may have a higher risk of getting an antibiotic-resistant infection, often called a superbug, even if the patient was not diagnosed with the same infection, suggesting hospitals play a role in the community spread of resistant bacteria, according to study in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

7 Aug 2024

Researchers develop a simple new way to store, identify, and share phages

The great promise of bacteriophages is that they naturally destroy bacteria, often in situations where antibiotics fail.

12 Jul 2024