October 16th 2025
Candida auris is the pathogen that won’t take a hint—clinging to surfaces, nesting in biofilms, and outlasting rushed wipe-downs. Yet the chemistries potent enough to kill it can be punishing to people, devices, and environments. This piece tackles the tightrope: how to choose, use, and verify C auris effective disinfection without trading one risk for another.
Beyond the Myocarditis Headlines: What the Data and Our Memory Say About COVID-19 Shots for Kids
October 9th 2025Fear of vaccine-related myocarditis is narrowing guidance, but the evidence is clear: COVID-19 infection triggers more myocarditis than vaccination, early doses cut pediatric long COVID, and myocarditis appeared in 2020—before vaccines existed. This piece restores the full risk–benefit picture.
“Don’t Be a Hero and Go to Work Sick”: An Autumn COVID-19 Check-In With Matthew Pullen, MD
October 8th 2025COVID-19 is back on the wastewater radar, but this fall’s bump does not look like a menacing new variant, says UMN infectious-diseases physician Matthew Pullen, MD. As CDC shifts to “shared decision-making” for vaccination—a move critics warn could slow access—his guidance stays simple: stay home when sick, and get the shot you can get now.
West Nile, Chagas, and Chikungunya: The New Geography of Vector-Borne Risk
October 8th 2025Mosquito season isn’t over—act today. Tip and toss standing water, wear EPA-registered repellent at dusk/dawn, and keep screens closed. Clinicians: add West Nile to summer/fall neuro workups, ask about Chagas risk, and report dead birds or suspected cases the same day.
The Clean Bite: Real Talk About Infection Control: Dental Unit Water Line Safety
October 6th 2025Hey Clean Biters! What’s flowing through your lines? Make DUWL safety automatic: appoint a Safety Officer, write a one-page SOP, treat daily, shock monthly, test quarterly, and document <500 CFU/mL. Grab the log—clean water, every patient, every time.
Offsite Sterilization Allows Lifeline Surgical Partners to Expand Service Lines
October 6th 2025As ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) expand into new specialties, sterile processing challenges can slow growth or halt operations entirely. Lifeline Surgical Partners—formerly Lifeline Vascular Care—found a scalable, cost-effective solution through offsite reprocessing, allowing their centers to maintain high-quality care while freeing clinical teams to focus on patients.
Candida auris: Why Expanded Screening Must Start at the Front Door
October 2nd 2025Candida auris continues to challenge infection preventionists with its persistence, resistance, and potential for outbreaks. New evidence shows that early, expanded screening—beginning in the emergency department—may be the key to stopping transmission before it starts.
Dr Fungus: A New App Bringing Fungal Education to Your Fingertips
September 30th 2025Ready to level up your knowledge of fungal infections and antifungal treatments? The newly launched Dr Fungus app designed by Matthew Pullen, MD, a member of ICT's Editorial Advisory Board, offers clinicians, researchers, and infection preventionists a free, practical resource, complete with case studies, medication guides, and trial updates.
NDM-CRE Surge Demands Stronger Infection Prevention and Testing Strategies, Study's Author Says
September 29th 2025This is the second of a 2-part conversation with CDC epidemiologist Danielle Rankin, PhD, MPH, CIC. In this installment, she dives into practical infection prevention strategies, surveillance challenges, and the urgent need for mechanism-specific testing as NDM-CRE surges in US health care settings.
Rising Threat of NDM-CRE: CDC Epidemiologist Highlights Urgent Infection Prevention Priorities
September 29th 2025This is the first of a 2-part conversation with CDC epidemiologist Danielle Rankin, PhD, MPH, CIC. In this installment, she unpacks her study about the urgent rise of NDM-CRE and what infection preventionists need to know now.