Weekly Rounds: With Mpox Surging, WHO and APIC Respond, and More
Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today®’s highlights for the week ending August 17, 2024.
Here are 5 highlights from Infection Control Today®'s (ICT®’s) wide-ranging coverage of the infection prevention and control world. Everything from interviews with known opinion leaders to the news that infection preventionists and other health care professionals can use on their jobs.
Dear Helpdesk: Uplifting Team Morale During Financial Uncertainty and Layoff Threats
Maintaining team morale during financial instability and potential layoffs requires clear communication, emotional support, and professional development opportunities to reassure and retain valuable team members.
USDA Proposes New Regulations to Reduce Salmonella in Poultry
The USDA aims to enhance food safety and public health while maintaining cost-effectiveness and ensuring safer poultry products by implementing targeted monitoring and a phased compliance approach.
NIH Study: Routine Lab Tests Ineffective for Diagnosing Long COVID
A recent National Institutes of Health study reveals that routine lab tests are ineffective for diagnosing long COVID, highlighting the urgent need for novel biomarkers to identify and treat the condition accurately.
WHO Declares Mpox Surge in DRC a Global Health Emergency, Calls for Urgent International Action; APIC Responds
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros declared the outbreak of monkeypox in DRC and other African countries a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. APIC provides a tool for infection preventionists and epidemiologists.
Meet Infection Control Today's Editorial Board Member: Henry Spratt, Jr, PhD
Meet the experts shaping infection prevention: Infection Control Today's Editorial Board members share insights, experiences, and cutting-edge strategies to enhance health care safety and quality. Meet Henry Spratt, Jr, PhD.
Building Infection Prevention Capacity in the Middle East: A 7-Year Certification Success Story
June 17th 2025Despite rapid development, the Middle East faces a critical shortage of certified infection preventionists. A 7-year regional initiative has significantly boosted infection control capacity, increasing the number of certified professionals and elevating patient safety standards across health care settings.
Streamlined IFU Access Boosts Infection Control and Staff Efficiency
June 17th 2025A hospital-wide quality improvement project has transformed how staff access critical manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs), improving infection prevention compliance and saving time through a standardized, user-friendly digital system supported by unit-based training and interdepartmental collaboration.
Swift Isolation Protocol Shields Chicago Children’s Hospital During 2024 Measles Surge
June 17th 2025When Chicago logged its first measles cases linked to crowded migrant shelters last spring, one pediatric hospital moved in hours—not days—to prevent the virus from crossing its threshold. Their playbook offers a ready template for the next communicable-disease crisis.
Back to Basics: Hospital Restores Catheter-Associated UTI Rates to Prepandemic Baseline
June 16th 2025A 758-bed quaternary medical center slashed catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) by 45% over 2 years, proving that disciplined adherence to fundamental prevention steps, not expensive add-ons, can reverse the pandemic-era spike in device-related harm.
Global Patients, Local Risks: Why Medical Tourism Demands Infection Preventionists’ Attention
June 16th 2025At APIC25, infection prevention leader Heather Stoltzfus, MPH, RN, CIC, will spotlight the growing risks and overlooked responsibilities associated with medical tourism. Her session urges infection preventionists to engage with a global health trend that directly impacts US care settings.
