Nearly 570 million people worldwide were living with a chronic respiratory disease in 2023, according to a new Global Burden of Disease analysis. While mortality has declined globally since 1990, deaths are rising in high-income North America, driven by interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis, with older adults facing the greatest risk.
A broad coalition of medical, public health, and infection prevention organizations is urging federal leaders to reaffirm a transparent, evidence-based US childhood immunization policy. The joint letter warns that reducing recommended vaccines, especially during a severe flu and RSV season, could increase preventable illness, hospitalization, and death among children.
Jill Morgan, BSN, RN, of Emory University Hospital is calling for a national, evidence-based approach to personal protective equipment for high-consequence infectious diseases. Drawing on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, she emphasizes the need for safer doffing processes, stronger training, and a parallel commitment to staff safety that matches the rigor long applied to patient safety.
With the threat of antibiotic-resistant infections on the rise, hospitals must recalibrate cleaning protocols that maximize people’s health and well-being while continuously mitigating infection risks.
Jill Morgan, BSN, RN, of Emory University Hospital, explains why PPE education must start earlier, go deeper, and focus on supply, process, and competency to truly protect health care workers.
The revision maintains insurance coverage for all vaccines but moves several doses into high-risk or shared decision-making categories as HHS commits to new clinical trials.
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses health care facilities face, and misinformation makes outbreak response even harder. Infection prevention and control professionals play a critical role by verifying staff immunity, enforcing airborne precautions, ensuring proper respiratory protection, and communicating clear, evidence based guidance. Science, preparation, and trusted messaging remain the strongest tools for protecting patients and health care workers during measles outbreaks.
As 2026 begins, Infection Control Today®'s Editorial Advisory Board reflects on a challenging year shaped by misinformation, policy uncertainty, and relentless change, reaffirming a commitment to science, truth, and supporting IPC professionals who keep showing up for patients and public health.
A West Nile virus survivor and a documentary filmmaker discuss the devastating neurological impact of infection, gaps in public awareness, and why infection prevention, blood screening, and vector control deserve renewed attention.
Are you curious what the Top 5 Infection Control Today interviews were in 2025? Read this article to find out.
Look back with ICT at their print issues and look ahead at what ICT's 30th year will hold!
Observed on December 27, the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness highlights the need for continuous investment in prevention, detection, and response to protect lives and strengthen health systems against ongoing and emerging threats.
To celebrate and thank the infection prevention community, Infection Control Today® introduces The Merry Microbe, a festive holiday games booklet filled with quizzes, puzzles, and crosswords designed to educate, engage, and bring a little joy to the vital work of keeping health care environments safe.
ICT’s top articles of 2025 spanned essential glove-use standards, CDC guidance on H5N1 monitoring, AI-driven infection prevention in operating rooms, advanced influenza surveillance for public health reporting, and APIC’s warning on communication restrictions that threaten outbreak response. Together, they highlight the evolving, high-stakes role of infection prevention in safeguarding health care and communities.
As misinformation accelerates and public trust is tested, Infection Control Today® reflects on a challenging year and reaffirms its commitment to evidence, clarity, and supporting IPC professionals who continue to confront falsehoods with facts, empathy, and persistence.
Good credentials, like a good ladder, make all the difference in how well you do the job you need to do. Read on to find out more about why credentials are vital to be successful.
With the threat of antibiotic-resistant infections rising, hospitals must recalibrate cleaning protocols to maximize people’s health and well-being while continuously mitigating infection risks.
Announcing the winner of the 2025 Infection Control Today Educator of the Year Award: Patricia Montgomery, MPH, RN, CIC, FAPIC.
When infection control slips, the consequences can be serious: patient harm, staff illness, fines from OSHA/local inspectors, and damage to your reputation. That’s why training isn’t optional; it’s essential.
Long-term wastewater surveillance revealed hidden SARS-CoV-2 transmission, detected variants early, and supported new EU public health mandates, demonstrating wastewater-based epidemiology as a critical early-warning tool for infection prevention, environmental hygiene, and outbreak preparedness.
Copper-infused textiles are gaining traction as hospitals confront rising antimicrobial resistance and financial pressure. In this installment of ICT linen roundtable, experts explained how passive antimicrobial fabrics can reduce infection risk, shorten length of stay, protect revenue, and strengthen operational resilience, all while working quietly in the background.
Hospitals often champion high-reliability principles, yet overlook one of their most risk-sensitive disciplines: environmental services. EVS operates in clinical environments where a single missed step can trigger pathogen transmission, regulatory failure, or patient harm. True high reliability is impossible without recognizing EVS as a core contamination-control and patient-safety function.
Think you know your EVS science inside and out? This crossword puts your expertise to the test with clues drawn from disinfection practices, cleaning validation, and the terminology every EVS professional and infection preventionist should know. Grab a pen or a colleague and see how far your knowledge takes you.
As hospitals seek stronger defenses against health care-associated infections, experts are turning their attention to an unexpected source: copper-infused linens. Learn how, supported by emerging science and real-world feasibility, these textiles may offer a practical and effective way to lower microbial loads and enhance infection prevention bundles in this installment of a recent roundtable on linen issues.
Infection preventionists face a daily battle against unseen threats, yet the hardest struggle is often the fear of speaking up. When you spot a dangerous gap in practice, do you act or stay silent to avoid conflict. Real safety begins when IPs are empowered to stop the line without fear or hesitation.
