14
Sep
2018
Bleach

“Stomach Flu” Season: How the Virus Spreads Trojan Horse-Style


03
Aug
2018
Preventing Infection
by Linda Golodner

Hepatitis A Prevention: Free Cleanup and Disinfection Posters

Recent multistate outbreaks of hepatitis A among homeless populations and their contacts prompted the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue an official Health Advisory in June 2018. The advisory provides guidance on hepatitis A infection to employees in health departments, healthcare facilities, and programs providing services to vulnerable populations. Several months before the advisory was issued, I was part of a collaborative group to develop a set of “pictogram posters” that communicate how to use chlorine bleach solutions to disinfect surfaces against the hepatitis A virus.... Read More »

22
Jun
2018
Preventing Infection
by Linda Golodner

Spreading Viruses in the Grocery Store via Reusable Grocery Bags

Reusable grocery bags (let’s call them “RGBs”) are a common commodity these days. I use them regularly and machine-wash them periodically with bleach, when possible, to keep them clean and sanitized. Using RGBs involves a degree of extra effort, not the least of which is remembering to take them to the grocery store, but I... Read More »

04
May
2018
Preventing Infection
by Barbara M. Soule, RN, MPA, CIC, FSHEA, FAPIC

How to Avoid Getting Sick on a Plane: An Air Traveler’s Guide

We’re flying more than ever. The US Department of Transportation reported US and foreign airlines serving the United States carried an all-time high of 965 million domestic and international passengers in 2017. Airlines do a very good job of delivering us to our destinations, but what are the risks of our contracting an infectious illness... Read More »

23
Feb
2018
Bleach
by Ralph Morris, MD, MPH

Protecting Fido from the Dog Flu

Dogs Can Get the Flu As if this flu season hasn’t been enough of a trial for humans, now there is news that some of our four-legged best friends are contracting “canine influenza,” aka “dog flu.” The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports that two strains of canine influenza virus, H3N8 and H3N2, have been... Read More »

16
Feb
2018
Norovirus
by Linda Golodner

Norovirus: Winter Sports Game Changer

There is an unwelcome visitor at the winter games, despised in all of the venues: the norovirus has arrived. This potential microbial game changer is already responsible for 261 confirmed cases of illness (as of February 16, 2018) in a norovirus outbreak that evidently began with security guards in PyeongChang and has spread to athletes.... Read More »

02
Feb
2018
Preventing Infection
by Ralph Morris, MD, MPH

Flu Can Be Spread Simply by Breathing

As the seasonal flu spreads across the country, a new study demonstrates that flu can be transmitted from person to person by simple breathing. Researchers have concluded that inhaling the exhaled breath of an infected individual may be all it takes to spread the flu virus. Coughing and sneezing are not required. This finding lends... Read More »

26
Jan
2018
Bleach
by Joan B. Rose, PhD

MRSA Bacteria Linked to Sports Equipment

Scanning electron microscope image showing clumps of MRSA bacteriaPhoto courtesy of CDC and Janice Haney Car and Jeff Hageman, M.H.S Participating in team sports is both fun and healthy exercise, but a bacterial MRSA infection among players can signal a losing season. Now, new research traces one potential path of MRSA bacteria through an endless... Read More »