A national survey of infection preventionists reveals deep concerns about staffing shortages, lack of leadership support, limited authority, and outdated surveillance systems. IP professionals warn that without structural investment, modernization, and executive recognition of their operational value, patient safety, regulatory compliance, and hospital financial stability remain at risk.
Infection prevention professionals are weighing in on the CDC’s updated vaccine schedule. An ICT survey reveals mixed familiarity, rising patient questions, and a strong call for clearer guidance and communication tools. Here’s what IPC leaders say about implementation, confidence, and the real-world impact of vaccine policy changes.
For Rare Disease Day and Week, ICT presents: Rare autoimmune diseases affect millions worldwide, yet vaccine guidance for these patients remains complex. Understanding disease mechanisms, immunosuppression, and vaccine modalities is critical to reducing infection risk. This article explores practical strategies to guide safe, individualized vaccine decisions in rare autoimmune conditions and protect vulnerable populations.
Dental implant infection prevention starts in the operatory and continues at home. Anjali A. Rajpal, DMD, explains how sterilization protocols, early healing care, warning signs of infection, and long-term hygiene habits protect implant success. Learn what patients must do in the first 72 hours and beyond to reduce risk.
Detox is a short but high-risk window for infection. Disrupted sleep, shared spaces, and intensive medication workflows raise exposure pressure. Leading detox programs in San Diego reduce risk with structured intake screening, disciplined medication handling, time-based cleaning, zoning for symptoms, and practical discharge planning that keeps infections from following patients home.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is accelerating worldwide, with MRSA, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and drug-resistant gonorrhea threatening modern medicine. As antibiotic development lags, AI-driven discovery, soil-derived compounds like teixobactin, and phage therapy offer renewed hope.
At FDA Rare Disease Day 2026, leaders highlighted new regulatory pathways, faster review programs, and patient-centered innovations accelerating treatments for rare diseases, including NF1 and pediatric cancers. From the Plausible Mechanism Framework to expanded real-world evidence use, the message was clear: Urgency, flexibility, and patient voice are driving rare disease drug development forward.
When operating room delays and tray errors threatened efficiency, leaders at New York Presbyterian built a collaborative bridge with central sterile processing. Through shared metrics, workflow exchanges, and improved communication, first-case-on-time starts climbed from the 50 to nearly 90%.
Cepheid has been selected by the CDC as a national collaborator to accelerate rapid diagnostic development during public health emergencies. With early access to outbreak samples and genomic data, the company aims to shorten response timelines and strengthen U.S. pandemic preparedness through scalable, high accuracy PCR testing solutions.
As debate over COVID-19 origins continues, critics warn that reductions in NIH and CDC biodefense efforts could weaken US pandemic preparedness. From halted CDC databases to shifting NIH priorities, experts question whether scaling back federal response capacity leaves the nation vulnerable to future biological threats and emerging infectious diseases.
At CROI 2026 in Denver, ViiV Healthcare unveiled new data on ultralong-acting HIV treatments, including first-in-human results for third-generation integrase inhibitor VH184 and early capsid inhibitor data. Updated prevention and real-world findings highlight progress toward 4-month dosing and expanded options across adult and pediatric populations.
Women make up most of the senior living workforce, especially in housekeeping and operations, yet they are often excluded from innovation and infection control decisions. When frontline women are not at the table, organizations lose critical insight into workflow, chemical safety, outbreak response, and resident comfort. Leaders who treat environmental safety as a strategic priority, not a compliance checkbox, can improve staff retention, resident outcomes, and long-term resilience.
This Pathogen Pulse examines infection prevention worldwide. Minnesota is investigating a TMVII fungal outbreak with 13 confirmed and 27 suspected sexually transmitted cases in the Twin Cities. CDC researchers report 10,530 travel-associated dengue cases from 128 countries between 2010 and 2024, which can help detect global outbreaks earlier. Further, China, the first human Streptococcus parasuis case in Henan was confirmed, with no livestock exposure, raising environmental transmission concerns.
Infection preventionists are experts at stopping pathogens, but many of the field’s hardest challenges are human. Contagious Conversations is a new video series that opens the candid, sometimes uncomfortable discussions about who belongs in infection prevention, how teams hire and grow, and what it will take to build a stronger workforce. Expect curiosity, honesty, and practical takeaways, not hot takes.
Infection preventionists are experts at stopping pathogens, but many of the field’s hardest challenges are human. Contagious Conversations is a new video series that opens the candid, sometimes uncomfortable discussions about who belongs in infection prevention, how teams hire and grow, and what it will take to build a stronger workforce. Expect curiosity, honesty, and practical takeaways, not hot takes.
Could engineered bacteriophages help hospitals tackle drug-resistant infections when antibiotics fail? In this ICT Q&A, researchers discuss where phage engineering may realistically fit first in hospitals, from treatment of MDR infections to environmental control, and why broad-coverage phage products remain a longer-term goal.
Why small lapses in cleaning can lead to significant infection control consequences—and how dentistry can close the gaps.
The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2026 is coming up soon. It will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 11 to 14. To give a taste of what will be available, Infection Control Today® is publishing the as-yet unposted interviews from 2025. This interview is on a poster titled “Advocacy Reduces Infection Related to Anastomotic Leaks and Incidental Lacerations.”
In this ICT podcast, HSPA President Arlene Bush reflects on a year of global collaboration, shifting standards, and the realities of compliance in sterile processing. She shares why 2026 should focus on celebrating throughput wins, strengthening training through rounding, and leading with empathy in high-stress departments.
From Joseph Lister to modern airflow engineering, operating room safety depends on more than sterile technique. This in-depth review explains why EVS, airflow control, objective cleaning verification, and SPD coordination are critical to reducing surgical site infections and building high-reliability perioperative environments.
Join Health Watch USA on February 18, 2026, as Christos Argyropoulos, MD, PhD, MS, FASN, discusses how repeated COVID-19 vaccinations compare with COVID-19 disease in patients with kidney disease, with implications for infection prevention, risk communication, and care of vulnerable populations.
A multicenter study of 401 patients with invasive aspergillosis found similar 90-day survival with mold-active triazoles and liposomal amphotericin B as primary therapy. As IA risk expands beyond traditional populations, the findings underscore the role of antifungal stewardship and careful treatment selection in infection prevention.
As “wellness” trends flood social media and consumer health marketing, separating credible infection prevention strategies from hype has never been more urgent. In this Q&A, surgeon and clinical researcher Ali Cadili, MD, MBA, MS, breaks down which 2026 wellness trends are grounded in evidence, and which risk creating false reassurance, covering air quality, hand hygiene, supplements, wearables, masking, and environmental controls.
A recent case-control study found that continuous photohydrolysis disinfection significantly reduced environmental bioburden, MDRO acquisition, COVID-19 cases, and hospital transfers in a long-term care facility, without adding staffing demands. The findings highlight the role of continuous air and surface disinfection as a complementary strategy to manual cleaning in addressing antimicrobial resistance and infection risk in LTC settings.
Shazia Irum, MSC, MBA, RN, CIC, CPHQ, FAPIC, a new member of Infection Control Today®’s (ICT®’s) Editorial Advisory Board, answers a quick question about emerging respiratory viruses.
IPC professionals are on the front lines of translating vaccine policy into practice. Share your perspective on how recent CDC vaccine schedule updates are affecting communication, confidence, and infection prevention efforts in your facility. This brief, anonymous survey will help highlight gaps, needs, and opportunities to better support the IPC community.
Two emerging animal-origin viruses, influenza D and canine coronavirus HuPn-2018, are quietly circulating and largely missed by routine diagnostics. Experts warn that without stronger surveillance, data sharing, and preparedness, these pathogens could become the next major respiratory threat.
