Year in Review: Pathogens

In honor of Global Handwashing Day, Jamar Shaw, MD, MPH, CIC, explains how applying the WHO 5 Moments to actual care sequences can reduce transmission risks in ambulatory settings.

Doe Kley, MPH, RN, T-CHEST, LTC-CIP, CIC, discusses how environmental hygiene supports efforts to contain antimicrobial resistance, examining disinfectant efficacy, dilution failures, shared equipment, and the partnership between infection prevention and environmental services teams.

AI tools may help clinicians recognize sepsis earlier, but false alarms, limited external validation, and uncertain effects on patient outcomes complicate their use in adult and neonatal intensive care.

An imported case of Bundibugyo virus disease in Kenya raises questions about airport screening, clinical recognition, and potential exposures, highlighting the importance of coordinated contact tracing and hospital infection prevention readiness.

Florida’s dengue outbreak highlights the importance of recognizing symptoms, identifying warning signs, and preventing mosquito bites. Ubong Johnson, MD, explains local transmission, diagnostic testing, treatment, and practical prevention measures.

Understanding current water quality is a starting point for ST108 implementation. John Kimsey, vice president of processing optimization and customer success for STERIS, spoke about his HSPA presentation on assessing readiness, distinguishing system qualification from routine testing, and understanding where water samples should be collected.

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.

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.