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Infection Control Monitor

Each week, Infection Control Monitor will provide important information to help health care facilities improve their infection control efforts. With this resource, facilities can catch up on the latest infection control news and learn valuable tips on keeping their facilities safe.

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Infection Control Monitor

Issue 50, December 17, 2004

• Researchers learn from 1918 influenza pandemic

  As health officials brace for what they believe is an overdue flu pandemic in the United States...

• Two milder forms of deadly bird flu found in Taiwan

  Routine testing uncovered two strains of avian flu in migratory birds in Taiwan, although they...

Issue 49, December 10, 2004

• Public comments sought on CDC's proposed TB guidelines

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking public comment on its revised...

• New bird flu test drastically cuts waiting time for results

  A new test developed by Chinese researchers to detect bird flu in humans can cut the waiting time...

Issue 48, December 3, 2004

• FDA identifies medical devices no longer safe to distribute

  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a list of reprocessed single-use medical...

Issue 47, November 19, 2004

• Computer models designed to combat infectious diseases

  Researchers are developing computer models to simulate a hypothetical outbreak of the bird flu in...

• Upgrade to health network adds new language capabilities

  A monitoring system designed to identify bioterrorist attacks or new disease outbreaks speaks...

Issue 46, November 12, 2004

• Government obtains new anthrax vaccine

  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a contract for $877.5 million to...

• New research to help fight emerging infectious diseases

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is supporting new infectious disease research...

Issue 45, November 5, 2004

• Reuse of respirators put healthcare workers at risk of SARS infection

  Healthcare workers’ reuse of respirator masks at two Hong Kong hospitals during last...

• NC health officials investigating E. coli outbreak

  North Carolina health officials urged residents to be vigilant in following prevention measures in...

Issue 44, October 29, 2004

• IDSA recommends strengthening HHS pandemic influenza plan

  Although supportive of the federal government’s efforts to come up with a pandemic influenza...

• Judge: Government’s mandatory anthrax vaccine program illegal

  Federal officials may no longer force troops to get anthrax shots following a federal judge’s...

Issue 43, October 22, 2004

• WI health officials see first human rabies case in nearly 50 years

  Wisconsin public health officials are assessing any possible risks to people who came in contact...

• JCAHO launches national campaign to stop spread of infections

  With a national shortage of flu vaccine, Americans can take appropriate steps to reduce the...

Issue 42, October 15, 2004

• Flu vaccine distributors gouging prices in wake of shortage

  Health officials are warning facilities to beware of flu vaccine distributors trying to take...

• APIC summit to discuss future of IC

  Leaders of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) will meet...

Issue 41, October 8, 2004

• Mandatory PA hospital infection data under scrutiny

  A state agency responsible for collecting hospital-acquired infection (HAI) data from Pennsylvania...

• U.S., Canada struggling with C. difficile strains

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers are testing strains of Clostridium...

Issue 40, October 1, 2004

• Topical drug beats out intravenous form in treating smallpox vaccine side effect

  A recent study found that a topical form of an antiviral drug is more effective at combating...

• Drug-resistant bacteria increasingly causing infections in healthy people

  Numerous studies on the rise in infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus...

Issue 39, September 24, 2004

• UNM scientists investigating new bacteria-fighting strategies

  Researchers at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center are using the human body as a...

Issue 38, September 17, 2004

• New legislation would make hospital-acquired infections public in CA

  Legislators in California approved a measure that would require hospitals to collect and report...

• Bioterrorism fears still going strong

  Medical experts still struggle with how to handle a widespread bioterrorism attack, particularly...

Issue 37, September 10, 2004

• Donated blood receives tougher screening for West Nile virus

  Los Angeles County health officials plan to use tougher screening methods to test local blood...

• New research center to study deadly microorganisms

  The University of Chicago will construct a new research center to study pathogens to help in the...

Issue 36, September 3, 2004

• Bedside disinfectants used to reduce superbugs

  In an effort to curb the rising number of healthcare-acquired infections, a new government-funded...

• College students urged to get meningitis vaccinations

  Some colleges this fall plan to encourage students who live in group housing to get immunized...

Issue 35, August 27, 2004

• HHS unveils draft pandemic influenza preparedness plan

  The federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) August 26 released a draft of a plan that...

• New strain of West Nile virus causes symptoms similar to polio

  Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to monitor a polio-like form...

Issue 34, August 20, 2004

• New group calls on NY hospitals to release infection data to public

  A new committee in New York state is urging hospitals to make public their infection rates, a...

• Test leads to safer national blood supply

  The nation’s blood supply is much safer today in the wake of testing systems that screen...

Issue 33, August 13, 2004

• OSHA seeks comments on decontamination document

  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) seeks input on a draft document that...

Issue 32, August 6, 2004

• Bacterial outbreak kills 100 patients at Quebec hospital

  An infectious disease expert is calling on the Canadian government to take action to prevent more...

• Lax IC procedures at PA hospital lead to citation

  A Westmoreland (PA) County hospital is operating under a provisional six-month license after state...

Issue 31, July 30, 2004

• WA hospital tests hundreds of patients possibly exposed to whooping cough

  Hundreds of patients at a Seattle hospital were potentially exposed to whooping cough from two...

• IN hospital cleans water system after discovery of Legionella bacteria

  Officials at a South Bend, IN, hospital superheated the facility's water supply and flushed the...

Issue 30, July 23, 2004

• FL hospital pays heavy fine for IC violations

  A Palm Beach, FL, hospital has paid one of the largest fines in state history for its lax infection...

• Missouri consumers can access hospital infection rates in 2006

  State health records show that more than 1,000 Missouri residents contract a serious infection...

Issue 29, July 16, 2004

• Handwashing compliance in hospitals still difficult to meet

  A Boston hospital with one of the most successful hand-hygiene programs in the country still can't...

• MRSA increasingly found in non-hospital settings

  Hospitals aren't the only places a drug-resistant superbug is showing up, Reuters reports.

Issue 27, July 9, 2004

• KY hospital denies allegations of unsanitary conditions

  Officials at Jewish Hospital (Louisville, KY) are adamantly rejecting allegations that unsanitary...

Issue 24, June 15, 2004

• Outbreaks of intestinal bug kill at least 89 in Canadian hospitals

  A deadly outbreak of a highly virulent strain of a common intestinal bug has hit Montreal...

• FDA approves rapid anthrax blood test

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first commercially available test to help...

Issue 23, June 15, 2004

• Two VA hospital deaths may have been caused by MRSA

  he Butler (PA) Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center is investigating two patient deaths involving...

• Report finds no link between MMR vaccine and autism

  Based on a thorough review of clinical and epidemiological studies, neither the mercury-based...

Issue 22, May 28, 2004

• Whooping cough outbreak reported in Wisconsin

  Health officials in Wisconsin report 27 recent whooping cough cases in Milwaukee, including seven...

• CDC advisory system provides disease alerts for travelers

  With emerging infectious diseases such as SARS, bird flu, and ebola flaring up across the globe...

Issue 21, May 20, 2004

• Study identifies risk factors for MRSA infections

  A new study identified previous antibiotic use and a genetic predisposition as two major risk...

• Researchers detail ways to reduce surgical site infections

  A systematic approach to preparing patients for surgery can reduce both secondary...

Issue 20, May 13, 2004

• New strain of bird flu found in British Columbia

  Health officials found a new strain of bird flu on a farm near Vancouver, but they may never learn...

• CDC publishes full pneumonia guidelines

  The CDC this month published its full revised guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated...

Issue 19, May 6, 2004

• CDC tracking down U.S. labs that study SARS virus

  Concerned about the recent SARS outbreaks traced to labs in Asia studying the virus, U.S. health...

• APIC issues recommendations for worker flu vaccination

  To help boost influenza immunization rates among healthcare workers, the Associaton for...

Issue 18, April 29, 2004

• SARS outbreak in China expands

  The latest SARS outbreak in China continues to grow in scope, with one dead, nine confirmed or...

• NFPA amends Life Safety Code to allow hand-rub dispenser use

  The National Fire Protection Association on April 29 said it amended the 2000 and 2003 editions of...

Issue 17, April 22, 2004

• China reports suspected SARS case in Beijing

  China acknowledged on April 22 the first suspected SARS case in Beijing since last year's deadly...

• JCAHO keeps infection control in 2005 safety goal proposal

  The JCAHO may carry over its infection control National Patient Safety Goal into the set of 2005...

Issue 16, April 15, 2004

• Lawsuits filed in Pittsburgh hospital bacterial outbreak

  Ten people or their families filed lawsuits April 13 against a Pittsburgh hospital alleging neglect...

• CDC to stockpile flu vaccine for children

  The federal government announced plans to stockpile flu vaccine for children to avoid the shortages...

Issue 15, April 8, 2004

• GA nursing home patient dies from 'flesh-eating bacteria'

  Georgia health officials this week confirmed a Gainesville nursing home resident recently died of...

• Manufacturer recalls human rabies vaccine

  Vaccine maker Aventis Pasteur on April 2 recalled four lots of human rabies vaccine after...

Issue 14, April 1, 2004

• Washington hospitals reduce surgical infection rates

  Eleven Washington state hospitals successfully reduced their surgical infection rates by working as...

• Targeted treatment could contain flu pandemic

  A new study found that in a future outbreak of pandemic influenza, authorities could prevent...

Issue 13, March 25, 2004

• Quebec hospital group reviews sterilization techniques

  The Quebec Hospitals Association said March 22 it will review the practice of flash sterilization...

• Light-sensitive gloves reduce germ transfer risk

  A new study found a type of disposable glove emits chlorine dioxide when exposed to light or...

Issue 12, March 25, 2004

• Report finds drug-resistant TB posing a global threat

  The World Health Organization (WHO) said March 16 that cases of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis...

• Microbial agents among top causes of death in U.S.

  Microbial agents such as influenza and pneumonia were among the top actual causes of death in the...

Issue 11, March 11, 2004

• Jury awards Ohio woman's kin $4.1 million for missed infection

  A jury awarded $4.1 million on March 9 to the family of a 45-year-old Finneytown, OH, woman whose...

• Free nursing CE credits available to BOIC subscribers

  Subscribers to HCPro's newsletter Briefings on Infection Control (BOIC) are now eligible for a new...

Issue 10, March 4, 2004

• Dengue fever outbreak in Indonesia kills 372

  A dengue fever outbreak has killed 372 people across Indonesia so far this year, causing...

• Health officials discourage use of antibiotics for most child ear infections

  Two leading medical groups plan to recommend this spring that physicians stop treating most ear...

Issue 9, February 26, 2004

• Human bird flu vaccine near completion

  Scientists are close to designing a human vaccine against the Asian bird flu, which has killed 22...

• Nonprofit unveils vaccine information service

  A new Texas-based nonprofit corporation, Immunization for Public Health (IFPH), now hosts the...

Issue 8, February 19, 2004

• State investigates hepatitis B outbreak in MS nursing home

  Mississippi health officials say an investigation into an outbreak of hepatitis B at the Neshoba...

• The facts about ricin

  The February 2 discovery of ricin in a Senate building led to much concern on Capitol Hill, but the...

Issue 7, February 13, 2004

• CDC: U.S. saw largest West Nile outbreak in 2003

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2003 the United States...

• SARS can strike without severe symptoms

  A new study published in the February 15 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases found that...

Issue 6, February 6, 2004

• PA hospitals oppose infection-reporting mandate

  Pennsylvania hospitals are balking at a new requirement that they submit data on the number of...

• Suggestions for ICPs to consider when dealing with mold

  Infection control professionals (ICPs) play an important role in preventing the spread of mold in...

Issue 5, January 30, 2004

• Audit: Lax procedures lead to infection control problems at Ontario hospitals

  An audit of 154 Ontario hospitals identified 16 facilities with infection control procedure...

• WHO warns of bird flu’s spread

  The World Health Organization (WHO) warned countries to guard against the spread of Asian bird flu...

Issue 4, January 23, 2004

• Study: Antiseptic handrub key to fewer urinary tract infections in hospitals

  French researchers recently concluded that rubbing hands with antiseptic might help prevent health...

• OSHA gives facilities six months to comply with respiratory rule

  The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) on January 14 said it would delay the...

Issue 3, January 16, 2004

• Transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria between ICU patients may rise

  Researchers say unless hygiene practices improve, the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria...

• Studies find mild heart problems after smallpox vaccination

  Three recent studies found that patients can suffer heart-related complications after receiving a...

Issue 2, January 9, 2004

• NV nursing home faces penalty for deficiencies in IC, patient care

  State officials recommended that a Carson City (NV) nursing home discontinue receiving Medicare...

• CDC algorithm helps evaluate rash for smallpox

  The fear of bioterrorism may have receded to the background a bit in light of emerging infectious...

Issue 1, January 2, 2004

• Nurses wash their hands twice as much as physicians, study shows

  A new study indicates physicians do not wash their hands enough between patient encounters, despite...

• Patient deaths from hospital infections investigated in France

  Even one of the best health systems in the world is not immune from its patients contracting...

• IDSA issues guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia

  The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) this month released new pneumonia and influenza...