UPMC’s genomic surveillance initiative earned national recognition for patient safety. Alexander Sundermann, DrPH, CIC, FAPIC, AL-CIP, explains how the award could help infection preventionists secure leadership support and sustainable funding for earlier outbreak detection.
Knowing the protocol is only the beginning. In The Clean Bite, Sherrie Busby explores how explaining the why, addressing staff concerns, and creating clear procedures can help dental teams make infection control part of everyday practice.
What might infection prevention rounds miss when visible conditions dominate the conversation? Tommy Davis, PhD, CMIP, a member of ICT's executive advisory board, makes the case for structured observations of clinical workflows, shared accountability, and greater attention to environmental services staff’s insights.
A proposed $27.7 million reduction in AHRQ funding raises questions about support for infection prevention research and implementation. Here is what the September 25 announcement identifies, as well as what remains unknown about specific IPC programs.
Two posters presented by Karen Jones, MPH, RN, CIC, FAPIC, at the APIC Annual Conference and Exposition examine surveillance responsibilities and staffing in small hospitals, as well as IPs’ reported experiences after implementing electronic surveillance. Findings highlight opportunities for more investigation, rounding, and communication.
A followed procedure can still leave patients at risk if it no longer matches validated requirements. Annetta L. McKnight, MHA, BSN, CRCST, CER, examines how infection prevention and sterile processing can identify process drift, assess disruptions, and strengthen shared oversight of medical device reprocessing.
Artist and designer Matthew Caliman shares how personal loss inspired the Cleanup Crew, a handwashing education project using cartoon faucets, songs, and games to help families revisit an essential health message.
In 1926, Karen Jones’s grandmother lost 5 children to measles in 8 days. A century later, Jones connects that devastating family history to vaccination, outbreak preparedness, and the role of infection preventionists in building trust.
What Were the Biggest Infection Prevention Stories This Week? Ebola's Outpaced Response, Lyme Coinfection Data, and Sterile Processing Burnout Explained, and more
The knowledge used to prevent infections can also be misused. Through a personal reflection on gaming, AI, and biological research, an infection preventionist explores why faster answers make human judgment, peer consultation, and accountability increasingly important.
A study of 193,260 individuals found overlapping tick-borne antibody levels more frequently among those with Lyme antibodies, highlighting diagnostic challenges when active coinfections are not confirmed.
A shifting mask or fogged eyewear can interrupt focus when precision matters most. Dana Weaver Storm, MHA, BSN, RN, examines the challenges of prolonged surgical mask use and how perioperative leaders can support comfort, visibility, and consistent adherence.
What happens when one disinfectant cannot satisfy every IFU? At AHE in New Orleans, Diane Cullen discusses weighted risk assessment, documenting difficult decisions, and why infection prevention and EVS need to work together.
Turnover pressure can leave critical OR cleaning steps unfinished. Karen deKay, MSN, RN, EBP-C, CNOR, CIC, FAPIC, examines common gaps in environmental hygiene and how shared responsibilities, attention to disinfectant contact time, and ongoing education can help teams strengthen practices between cases.
A patient with fever and no recent travel could still have dengue. Florida’s local transmission highlights why clinicians and infection preventionists should look beyond travel history and recognize warning signs.
High contact follow-up rates suggest progress, but who is being missed? Inside the DRC’s Ebola response, shortages, strained treatment centers, and gaps in community trust reveal a more complicated story.
Sterile processing professionals face constant interruptions, cognitive overload, increasingly complex devices, and hundreds of IFUs. Randalyn Harreld, CRCST, FHSPA, explains why health care organizations must address the human factors behind SPD performance rather than expecting frontline professionals to simply absorb ever-increasing complexity.
Long-acting HIV therapies promise greater convenience, but fewer doses alone may not solve adherence or access challenges. Lloyd Bibby and Pooja Goyal, MS(Pharm), discuss patient choice, weekly oral and injectable therapies, health system capacity, equitable access, and the real-world measures that will define success.
This week on Infection Control Today, the stories ranged from emerging drug-resistant pathogens circling the globe to a landmark decade of surface science—all against a backdrop of ongoing outbreaks and a hard look at what the profession owes its own workforce.
At AHE 2026 in New Orleans, The Beryl Institute's Stacy Palmer discussed 8 guiding principles for experience excellence and why EVS professionals influence far more than environmental cleanliness. Their interactions, workplace culture, and connection with patients help shape the overall human experience of health care.
Drug-resistant Trichophyton indotineae has now been identified in 29 countries. Its resistance to first-line terbinafine, resemblance to other dermatophytes, and expanding global transmission are creating new challenges for diagnosis, treatment, surveillance, and antifungal stewardship.
Infection Control Today celebrates 30 years of covering the people, science, and challenges shaping infection prevention with another milestone: its first digital magazine, featuring outbreak analysis, biosecurity, respiratory testing, sterile processing, professional leadership, conference coverage, and more.
During National EVS Week, appreciation matters, but partnership matters more. Environmental services professionals bring infection prevention expertise and a unique understanding of the health care environment that can help identify barriers, improve cleaning and disinfection practices, and ultimately protect patients.
Nearly 4 months into the DRC's Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak, some indicators suggest transmission may be slowing. But shifting hotspots, treatment-center capacity problems, community deaths, and incomplete surveillance data show why national case totals alone cannot determine whether containment has been achieved.
As US measles cases climb into the thousands, immigration has become part of the political debate over the cause. Outbreak data point to a more complex picture involving international travel, declining vaccination coverage, pockets of susceptible populations, and highly efficient measles transmission. CDC reported 3,294 confirmed cases as of September 10.
A 10-year NIH-funded study used Bayesian statistical modeling to examine the relationship between continuously active EOScu surfaces and HAI reduction. EOS Surfaces representatives discuss the findings, passive infection prevention, environmental recontamination, and why IPs should continue asking tough questions.
CBIC and APIC say updated IPU requirements are intended to protect infection prevention education from commercial influence. But differing guidance, questions about industry support, and concerns about educational access leave IPs asking for a clearer, more consistent road map.
Artificial intelligence can help IPs analyze surveillance data, identify patterns, improve training, and reduce repetitive work. Bassel Molaeb explains why AI literacy is becoming an important IPC competency while human validation, clinical context, and professional judgment remain essential.
"You can't underinvest in public health and then expect it to have a fast and swift response." Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH, discusses Cyclospora, surveillance, workforce capacity, misinformation, and rebuilding public trust. Read the Q&A and watch the full ICT interview.
A surface can look clean and still carry significant bioload. The new Bioload Exposure Metric Index (BEMI) aims to standardize ATP sampling and move surface hygiene toward a measurable cleanliness score. If we can't measure clean, how do we know we've achieved it?
