What's Next? Another Life Threatening Multi-Drug Resistant Organism Spreads Globally! 11/18/16

In the past number of years, it seems that we have become complacent to expecting the new global threat to arise. Just recently we all coped with how to deal with the effects of the Zika virus. Now, a new multi-drug resistant infection that can cause life- threatening illness in people with cystic fibrosis has spread globally. Mycobacterium abscessus is a species of mycobacteria and can cause severe pneumonia leading to accelerate inflammatory damage to the lungs. It’s extremely difficult to treat with fewer than one in three cases being treated successfully.

Researchers are not sure what delivery mechanism is being utilized by the pathogen to spread globally, but a study lead by the University of Cambridge and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute suggest that conventional cleaning will not be sufficient to eliminate the pathogen. M. abscessus can transmit through patient to patient contact, contact with contaminated surfaces, and through the air.

Doctors that are responsible for treating this infection are worried because M. abscessus can cause very serious infections that are extremely challenging to treat, requiring a combination of treatments with multiple antibiotics for 18 months or longer.  Professor Andres Floto says “The bug initially seems to have entered the patient population from the environment, but we think it has recently evolved to become capable of jumping from patient to patient, getting more virulent as it does so.” To learn more about this study read more here.

Elizabethkingia Bacteria Outbreak - April 18, 2016

Recently, throughout the Midwestern United States there has been an outbreak of the bacteria Elizabethkingia anophelis. The current outbreak in Wisconsin has resulted in 56 confirmed cases and 17 deaths. The bacteria has also been...

Prevalence of HCAI's - April 12, 2016

Summary: Each year, hundreds of thousands of individuals in the United States are infected with Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs).With updated infection technology, including UVC disinfecting, these numbers can be greatly reduced and in...

Chemical Ineffectiveness - March 31, 2016

Health care workers perform manual cleaning and disinfection using chemicals to routinely clean medical devices and equipment throughout patient rooms. However with the quick turnover rate and many hard to reach areas, numerous spaces may be...

UVC In Flight! - March 24, 2016

UVC infection technology has reached new heights! The Boeing Company, one of the largest global manufacturers of airplanes, is using ultraviolet light to zap microbes in their new self cleaning restrooms. The UV lights clean the lavatories...

UVC Disinfection Market - March 14, 2016

As numbers in health care associated infections (HCAI’s), multi-drug resistant organisms, and environmental concerns continue to increase, UVC disinfection devices have become more prevalent in infection control markets. Hospitals,...
Page: 1234567 - All