Infection Preventionists Play Key Role in Emergency Management
October 7th 2011Bioterrorism events such as the anthrax cases and global outbreaks such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and pandemic influenza underscore the need for hospitals and their staff to remain vigilant. As Rebmann (2009a) explains, "Infection transmission and infectious disease outbreaks can occur during or following any type of disaster. The greatest risk of infection transmission occurs during a disaster involving an infectious disease/agent (i.e., an infectious disease disaster), such as a bioterrorism attack, outbreak of an emerging infectious disease or pandemic."