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Sanitization error might possibly have exposed hundreds to HIV at Indiana hospital

An Indiana hospital is in the news for all the wrong reasons. An accidental failure by one of the seven sterilization technicians working at the hospital was recently discovered. The technician failed to carry out a single step in a protocol concerning the sanitization of surgical equipment at Goshen Hospital, over a period from April 1 to September 30.

26 Nov 2019

Researchers turn to older treatment methods for new health challenges

The last thing anyone wants during a stay in the hospital is a hospital-acquired infection. Nosocomial infections, as they are called, are on the rise as more pathogens become resistant to drugs currently available.

21 Nov 2019

C. diff puts up a winning fight against hospital disinfectants

The deadly and notoriously stubborn superbug, Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), is putting up a winning fight against hospital-grade disinfectants meant to kill it, according to results of a new study published in the Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

6 Nov 2019

Contaminated tap water linked to more than 100,000 cancer cases in the US

Tap water contaminated with a toxic cocktail of chemical pollutants could be responsible for more than 100,000 cancer cases in the US over a lifetime.

19 Sep 2019

FDA recommends health care facilities to transition away from fixed endcap duodenoscope models

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is recommending that duodenoscope manufacturers and health care facilities transition to different types of duodenoscopes that may pose less risk to patient safety.

31 Aug 2019

Biosafety cabinet selection, installation, lifespan and decommissioning

NSF International published Annex E to Biosafety Cabinetry (BSC) Standard NSF/ANSI 49.

From NuAire 20 Aug 2019

Multiple breaches of injection safety practices identified in New Jersey septic arthritis outbreak

Multiple violations of injection safety and infection prevention practices--from lack of handwashing to inappropriate re-use of medication vials--were identified after an outbreak of septic arthritis at a New Jersey outpatient facility in 2017, according to an investigation published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal for the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

17 Jul 2019

Study analyzes high capacity of A. baumannii to persist on various surfaces

A group in the Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology at the UPV/EHU has conducted an in-depth study into the capacity to survive of the Acinetobacter baumannii bacterium as well as the strategies it uses to survive.

16 Jul 2019

Fight for Sight poll: Brits put their eyesight at risk through unsafe contact lens habits

Poll results released today by charity Fight for Sight highlight that many Brits are frequently putting their eyesight at risk through unsafe contact lens habits, unaware that these could lead to a painful and sight-threatening eye infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis.

10 Jul 2019

Swimming pools could be breeding grounds for diarrhea-causing germs

Summers get along best with swimming pools, spas and other water play regions. The Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) USA has warned that these pools could be the focal point of spread of certain bacteria, parasites and virsues.

1 Jul 2019

Researchers compare effectiveness of water treatment processes for swimming pools

With summer in full swing, many people are cooling off in swimming pools. However, some of the substances that are made when chlorine in the water reacts with compounds in human sweat, urine or dirt aren't so refreshing.

26 Jun 2019

Testing how well wastewater disinfection methods affect antibiotic resistance genes

Each year at least 2 million Americans are infected with bacteria that cannot be treated with antibiotics, and at least 23,000 of these people die, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

9 Apr 2019

Study: Non-thermal plasma can inactivate 99.9% of dangerous airborne viruses

Dangerous airborne viruses are rendered harmless on-the-fly when exposed to energetic, charged fragments of air molecules, University of Michigan researchers have shown.

9 Apr 2019

Ball pits used in children's physical therapy may contribute to germ transmission

Beware the ball pit. Ball pits used in children's physical therapy - similar to those made popular by restaurants catering to families - may contribute to germ transmission between patients, according to new research published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, published by Elsevier.

22 Mar 2019

Sinks next to toilets in hospital may be reservoirs for Klebsiella pneumonia carbapenemase

Sinks situated next to patient toilets in hospital rooms may be reservoirs for Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, increasing the risk of dangerous germ transmission, according to new research published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

4 Feb 2019

UV disinfection technology eliminates up to 97.7% of pathogens in operating rooms

Using ultraviolet disinfection technology to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections eliminated up to 97.7 percent of pathogens in operating rooms (ORs), according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.

18 Jan 2019

Reusable respirators can effectively protect health care workers from airborne contaminants

Half-facepiece reusable elastomeric respirators are an effective and viable option for protecting health care workers from exposure to airborne transmissible contaminants or infectious agents -- for example, influenza virus -- during day-to-day work or with a sudden or rapid influx of patients, such as during a public health emergency, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

7 Dec 2018

Improved infection prevention practices could help halt spread of S. aureus in the operating room

Adherence to proven protocols for disinfecting surgeons' hands, patients' skin, and operating room surfaces could help to halt the spread of dangerous Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) pathogens in the operating room and beyond, according to new research published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

27 Nov 2018

Experts study antibiotic resistance in recycled water

Bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics lead to an estimated 23,000 deaths and 2 million illnesses per year in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control is launching an expansive effort to study various facets of the growing threat by funding researchers across the nation, including two prominent water experts at Virginia Tech.

7 Nov 2018

Four mild forms of adenovirus cases at Voorhees Pediatric Facility under control and no new cases reported

Voorhees Pediatric Facility, a pediatric special care nursing facility located in Voorhees, New Jersey, has had four patients with chronic lung disease contract a mild form of adenovirus.

2 Nov 2018