Decontamination News and Research

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Ten tips to avoid or treat common medical problems in the outdoors

"Good fortune favors the well prepared," says Paul S. Auerbach, MD, a founder and past President of the Wilderness Medical Society and editor of Wilderness Medicine, 6th Edition, recently published by Elsevier. With some advance reading, individuals planning vacations or outdoor excursions can become familiar with adverse situations and be prepared to handle them.

19 Apr 2012

Ripeness of fruit determines how food-poisoning bacteria grow on them

The ripeness of fruit could determine how food-poisoning bacteria grow on them, according to scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology's Spring Conference in Dublin this week. Their work could lead to new strategies to improve food safety, bringing many health and economic benefits.

27 Mar 2012

Mount Sinai researchers argue different views of how to safely handle H5N1 flu viruses

In the controversy surrounding the newly developed strains of avian H5N1 flu viruses, scientists and policy makers are struggling with one question in particular: what level of biosafety is best for studying these potentially lethal strains of influenza? In a pair of commentaries, researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and the University of Michigan argue their different views of how to safely handle H5N1 flu viruses.

6 Mar 2012

Water treated with ozone eradicates prions

A University of Alberta research team has discovered that technology commonly used to decontaminate food industry equipment can also rid meat processing plants of lethal microbial material responsible for the human version of the ailment Mad Cow disease.

3 Mar 2012

Sandia's decontamination foam now used for meth lab cleanup

Sandia's decontamination foam, developed more than a decade ago and used to decontaminate federal office buildings and mailrooms during the 2001 anthrax attacks, is now being used to decontaminate illegal methamphetamine labs.

17 Feb 2012

Nanosize titanates may inhibit growth of oral cancer and bacterial cell lines

Sometimes bigger isn't better. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River National Laboratory have successfully shown that they can replace useful little particles of monosodium titanate (MST) with even tinier nano-sized particles, making them even more useful for a variety of applications.

1 Feb 2012

Low-voltage alternating current can effectively eradicate E. coli on beef

A short burst of low voltage alternating current can effectively eradicate E. coli bacteria growing on the surface of even heavily contaminated beef, according to a study published in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health. The technique offers an inexpensive and easy to implement approach to reducing the risk of food poisoning, which can occur despite handlers complying with hygiene standards.

12 Jan 2012

New center for advanced emergency response to inaugurate on Jan. 6 at RUMC

The doors to the new, state-of-the-art emergency center at 1653 W. Congress Parkway will be the first to "open in the new hospital building at Rush University Medical Center at 6 a.m. CT on Friday, Jan. 6. Rush's current emergency department will close early Friday morning when the department goes on bypass during the move to the new facility.

5 Jan 2012

Medizone, SMTC enter partnership to manufacture AsepticSure disinfection system

Medizone International, a leading-edge research and development company that specializes in decontamination and sterilization systems and SMTC Corporation, a global electronics manufacturing services provider, today jointly announce a new partnership agreement to manufacture Medizone's AsepticSure disinfection system.

21 Nov 2011

Princeton acquires Tru-D SmartUVC Room Decontamination System to improve patient care

In early September, Princeton Community Hospital added the Tru-D SmartUVC™ Room Decontamination System to its arsenal of new technology that helps disinfect environmental surfaces in patient rooms and in operating room suites.

21 Nov 2011

Low-temperature plasmas can kill bacteria for a week after treatment

University of California, Berkeley, scientists have shown that ionized plasmas like those in neon lights and plasma TVs not only can sterilize water, but make it antimicrobial - able to kill bacteria - for as long as a week after treatment.

16 Nov 2011

Study confirms ability of Tru-D device to decontaminate surfaces in patient rooms

In an original article coauthored by John M. Boyce, MD; Nancy L. Havill, MT; and Brent A. Moore, PhD, "Terminal Decontamination of Patient Rooms Using an Automated Mobile UV Light Unit", the research team from the Hospital of Saint Raphael and the Yale University School of Medicine ". . . demonstrated that an automated, portable UV light device significantly reduced aerobic colony counts on high-touch surfaces in patient rooms.

12 Aug 2011

New computational model could forecast cholera outbreaks

Just as the rainy season is driving a new surge of cholera cases in Haiti, a new computational model could forecast where outbreaks are likely to occur.

11 Aug 2011

Huddersfield lecturer's groundbreaking design for nursing bag wins four major awards

UNIVERSITY of Huddersfield lecturer Dr David Swann's groundbreaking design for a super-efficient and super-safe treatment bag for mobile health workers is attracting global praise and interest and put him in line for FOUR major awards.

9 Aug 2011

Johnson & Johnson second quarter sales increase 8.3% to $16.6 billion

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $16.6 billion for the second quarter of 2011, an increase of 8.3% as compared to the second quarter of 2010.

19 Jul 2011

ASP unveils innovative healthcare environmental infection prevention technology

Sterilization Products (ASP) announced today the launch of an innovative infection prevention technology – GLOSAIR Healthcare Environmental Decontamination – that provides effective, safe and thorough disinfection of hospital rooms and operating suites to reduce the risk of patient contact with infection-causing pathogens.

27 Jun 2011

SHEA, ASGE update Flexible gastrointestinal endoscope guideline

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) have updated their 2003 joint guideline for reprocessing gastrointestinal endoscopes to reaffirm reprocessing methods and take into account evolved technology and disinfection systems.

2 Jun 2011

Smell produced by young bed bugs repels other bed bugs

Bed bugs are an increasingly common pest that necessitates extensive decontamination of homes. However, researchers from Lund and Sundsvall in Sweden have now discovered that young bed bugs produce a smell that repels other bed bugs. It is hoped that these findings could contribute to more effective control of the blood-sucking insects.

1 Apr 2011

Nukepills.com donates 50,000 potassium iodide tablets to Tokushukai Hospital in Tokyo

Approximately 50,000 potassium iodide tablets have been donated by Nukepills.com to Tokushukai Hospital in Tokyo, Japan for immediate distribution to those affected by Japan's nuclear reactor crisis.

16 Mar 2011

High pressure technology holds promise for decontamination of dairy products

The AZTI-Tecnalia technological centre, in a project undertaken by the Tecnolat and Llet de Catalunya dairy product companies within the FUTURAL project, has verified that, as an alternative to the traditional heat treatment for decontamination of a number of dairy products, high pressure technology is highly recommendable. In fact, according to a press release from Tecnolat, the results, especially with ready-to-eat fruit products and in the inactivation of moulds and yeasts in other dairy products, "were highly positive and promising".

24 Dec 2010