Infection Control Today Magazine

Germs

An Exploration of 'Germ Porn'

There's finally a name for those who can't turn away from the mainstream media's latest segment on how microbes are overtaking the world -- it's called "germ porn" and it's a favorite past-time of writer A.J. Jacobs, the author of a new book, "Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's ...More
April 18, 2012
Posted in Blog
Sharing Musical Instruments Means Sharing Germs

Germs survive for several days in wind instruments including the clarinet, flute, and saxophone, according to a pilot study published in the International Journal of Environmental Health Research. The researchers, led by Stuart Levy, MD, of Tufts University School of ...More
May 12, 2011
Posted in News
Survey Finds Germs are Increasingly Joining the Workforce

A new study shows that many office workers feel compelled to be in the office when they’re sick while few take enough steps to keep their workspace clean. A recent survey by Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples, Inc., reveals that 65 percent of ...More
October 13, 2010
Posted in News, Environmental Hygiene, Hand Hygiene
Sneezing in Times of a Flu Pandemic

The H1N1 influenza pandemic has received extensive media coverage this year. The World Health Organization, in addition to providing frequent updates about cases of infection and death tolls, recommends hyper vigilance in daily hygiene such as frequent handwashing or ...More
November 2, 2009
Posted in News, Environmental Hygiene, Hand Hygiene
Pumpkin Skin May Scare Away Germs

The skin of that pumpkin you carve into a Jack-o'-Lantern on Halloween contains a substance that could put a scare into microbes that cause millions of cases of yeast infections in adults and infants each year. That's the conclusion of a new study, "Antifungal Mechanism of ...More
October 28, 2009
Posted in News
Hygiene Habits Getting Worse, Study Says

American hygiene habits are going downhill and kitchen surfaces continue to harbor illness-causing bacteria that can threaten families, according to a new international study released today from the Hygiene Council, sponsored by LYSOL® brand products. Investigators ...More
July 15, 2009
Posted in News, Environmental Hygiene, Hand Hygiene, PPE & Standard Precautions
Sugar on Bacterial Surface Helps Builds Biofilm

The bacteria responsible for chronic infections in cystic fibrosis patients use one of the sugars on the germs’ surface to start building a structure that helps the microbes resist efforts to kill them, new research shows.Scientists have determined that the bacterial ...More
April 21, 2009
Posted in News, Disinfection & Sterilization
The Perils of Flying Saliva

Mark Nicas has given some of his best years to spittle. He builds models – the mathematical kind – of how someone else's slobber ends up on you. The size of the particles, whether they come out in a dry cough or a wet sneeze, their evaporation rate, air speed ...More
April 14, 2009
Posted in News