News

A renewed interest in the healthcare environment and to what degree surface contamination contributes to the spread of infectious pathogens is driving a growing body of research in this area. The following article will take a look at what we know about various aspects of environmental hygiene from the scientific literature.

A $21 million grant will help researchers at the University of Michigan Health System better understand the HIV virus on a molecular level, potentially paving the way for new treatment approaches to AIDS and other diseases.

Leading parasitologists with the nonprofit Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) say the risk of Lyme disease will increase this fall. According to the organization's Fall 2012 CAPC Lyme Disease Forecast, the disease will continue to spread southward through the United States and expand significantly along the West Coast.

A strengthened standard from the Joint Commission is adding additional weight to the importance of healthcare worker vaccination against influenza. As of July 1, 2012, the Joint Commission requires that all accredited healthcare organizations establish an annual influenza vaccination program for staff members and licensed independent practitioners. The standard should be very familiar to many infection preventionists, as six years ago the Joint Commission required that hospitals and long-term care facilities seeking accreditation establish an influenza vaccination program which includes educating about and providing influenza vaccination to healthcare professionals.