Editorial Note: The following are excerpts from a presentation by Dr. Stephanie Dancer. Why the debate about MRSA and hospital cleaning? “There is no evidence” – cleaning has never been regarded as an evidence-based science Aesthetic considerations make cleaning difficult to assess No way …
Particles can be produced by many different sources. Inert (nonliving) particles usually arise from the rubbing of one item against another, such as the dust produced when you saw through a piece of wood. Humans shed lots of inert particles, as in the continuous sloughing …
Norovirus (previously called “Norwalk-like viruses”), is an RNA virus of the Caliciviridae taxonomic family. The virus causes approximately 90% of epidemic non-bacterial outbreaks of gastroenteritis around the world, and is responsible for 50% of all foodborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis in the US. Norovirus affects people …
Cleaning activities may be associated with increased lower respiratory tract symptoms in women with asthma according to a study published in the January 2009 Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). Jonathan …
Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria called Salmonella. Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons, the diarrhea …
Abstract Aims To determine the transfer efficiency of micro-organisms from fomites to hands and the subsequent transfer from the fingertip to the lip. Methods and Results Volunteers hands were sampled after the normal usage of fomites seeded with a pooled culture of …
Abstract It is believed that surface-dried viruses can remain infectious and may therefore pose a threat to public health. To help address this issue, we studied 0.1 N NaOH and 0.1% hypochlorite for their capacity to inactivate surface-dried lipid-enveloped (LE) [human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), bovine …
Throughout written history, the most devastating pandemic illnesses (i.e., pneumonic plague, small pox, inhalation anthrax, tuberculosis, influenza and even chicken pox) were largely spread through the airborne route. These diseases were responsible for more deaths than any wars or other natural disasters. The ever-increasing urbanization …
Abstract Hospital cleaning continues to attract patient, media and political attention. In the UK it is still primarily assessed via visual inspection, which can be misleading. Calls have therefore been made for a more objective approach to assessing surface cleanliness. To improve the management of …
Abstract Hospital cleaning is a neglected component of infection control. In the UK, financial constraints have forced managers to re-evaluate domestic services and general cleaning has been reduced to the bare minimum. Services have been contracted out in some hospitals, which has further lowered …