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CDC

What is Clostridium difficile (C. difficile)? (198)

September 1, 2008

C. difficile is a spore-forming, gram-positive anaerobic bacillus that produces two exotoxins: toxin A and toxin B. It is a common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). It accounts for 15-25% of all episodes of AAD. What are C. difficile-associated diseases?They are diseases that result from …

EPA

Housekeeping Tips from the EPA I-BEAM Program (200)

August 17, 2008

Sources of dirt and dust can be internal or external. Internal sources include human and animal dander, the breakdown of materials and furnishings, plants, building activities such as cooking and printing, smoking, and cleaning materials such as powders, finishes, and solvents. External sources include dirt …

EPA

Indoor Air Quality – Glossary (201)

August 5, 2008

The following IAQ glossary is adapted from the EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Building Education and Assessment Model or I-BEAM.   I-BEAM is a tool designed for use by building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings. I-BEAM is a comprehensive (and …

CDC

Estimated Impact of Influenza Pandemics (206)

June 25, 2008

1918-19 Spanish Flu (H1N1)• 20-50 million deaths worldwide• >500,000 U.S. deaths 1957-58 Asian Flu (H2N2)• 70,000 U.S. deaths   1968-69 Hong Kong Flu (H3N2)• 34,000 U.S. deaths Estimated Impact of a Future Avian Influenza Pandemic in the U.S. Deaths: 89,000 – 207,000 Hospitalizations: 314,000 – …

CDC

Osler and the Infected Letter (205)

June 25, 2008

The spread of infectious agents through the mail has concerned public health officials for 5 centuries. The dissemination of anthrax spores in the US mail in 2001 was a recent example.   In 1901, two medical journals reported outbreaks of smallpox presumably introduced by letters …

CDC

Nosocomial Infection – a Historical Perspective (1998) (204)

June 25, 2008

As we enter the next millennium of infection control, we stand on theshoulders of giants—Jenner, Semmelweis, Nightingale, Oliver Wendell Holmes,and my own personal favorite, Thomas Crapper, the father of indoorplumbing. Modern infection control is grounded in the work of IgnazSemmelweis, who in the 1840s demonstrated …

CDC

What is HICPAC? (208)

June 22, 2008

The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) is a federal advisory committee made up of 14 external infection control experts who provide advice and guidance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human …

What is Log Reduction? (207)

June 22, 2008

“Log reduction” is a mathematical term (as is “log increase”) used to show the relative number of live microbes eliminated from a surface by disinfecting or cleaning.   For example, a “5-log reduction” means lowering the number of microorganisms by 100,000-fold, that is, if a …