Slide Show: Infection Prevention Breaches in the OR

Behind every landmark in infection prevention, from antimicrobial stewardship guidelines to the COVID-19 town halls that reached flight attendants and teachers, is a generation of physician-scientists who led SHEA through crises, organizational change, and scientific breakthroughs. Infection Control Today traces 30 years of SHEA presidents and the lasting mark they left on the field.

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.

Part 2 of 4: Recruitment may bring people into sterile processing. Development is what determines whether they stay.

This week in infection prevention: Kenya’s Bundibugyo virus response shows why execution, not just planning, determines outcomes, and France reported the first known human Shamonda virus infection. Our roundup also covers brucellosis, blood donor screening, and long-acting HIV antibody findings from IDWeek 2026.

A retrospective hospital study found no significant differences in mortality or readmissions between infectious disease e-consults and in-person consultations, despite more diagnoses of bacteremia among e-consult patients. Researchers recommend further evaluation across settings.

A 2026 IDWeek poster details how respiratory cultures and whole genome sequencing clarified a NICU MRSA outbreak, with targeted prevention measures followed by at least 6 months without additional bacteremias or related respiratory clusters.

Researchers recovered a carbapenemase-producing organism from the shaft of a hospital drain auger, prompting calls for standardized reprocessing protocols and further investigation into maintenance equipment as a potential source of environmental dissemination.

Clean Hospitals President Alexandra Peters, PhD, explains how training, meaningful support, and stronger collaboration with infection prevention teams can empower environmental services staff and strengthen patient safety.