This week's coverage in Infection Control Today centered on a common thread: the systems, partnerships, and data that let infection prevention teams catch problems before patients are harmed.
News|Articles|March 17, 2026
- Infection Control Today, March 2026 (Vol. 30 No.1)
- Volume 30
- Issue 1
Bug of the Month: The Virus Behind the Dangerous Bite
Author(s)Isis Lamphier, MPH, MHA, CIC, AL-CIP
The Bug of the Month helps educate readers about existing and emerging pathogens that are clinically important in today's health care facilities.
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Bug of the Month helps educate readers about existing and emerging pathogens of clinical importance in health care facilities today. Each column explores the Bug of the Month's etiology, the infections it can cause, the modes of transmission, and ways to fight its spread. The pathogen profiles will span bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic species.
We encourage you to use Bug of the Month as a teaching tool to help educate health care personnel and start a dialogue about microbiology-related imperatives.
Articles in this issue
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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 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.
An unexplained death at a Russian plague research institute has prompted international scrutiny. The incident raises questions about laboratory safety, transparent reporting, and infection prevention preparedness while the cause remains unconfirmed.
Missing instruments and processing delays can strain OR–SPD relationships. At AORN 2026, John Kimsey, vice president of processing optimization and customer success for STERIS, discusses understanding root causes, exploring off-site reprocessing for ambulatory surgical centers, and using hands-on simulation to help surgical teams see sterile processing from a different perspective.
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.
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.
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