New study: Nursing home staff often fail to change gloves
From Infection Control Today: The failure to change gloves is common among certified nursing assistants, and may be a significant cause of the spread of dangerous pathogens in nursing homes and long-term healthcare settings, according to a new study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are often the main providers of care in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), with significant patient...
Antibiotic-resistant genes are being spread via animal feed
Excerpted from The Independent: Antibiotic-resistant genes are being spread around the world in animal feed, according to new research that adds to fears humanity could lose one of our most important medicines. A UK government-commissioned report last year estimated 10 million people a year could die worldwide by 2050 because of the rise of ‘superbugs’, prompting the then Prime Minister David Cameron to announce a crackdown on over-prescribing by GPs and lead...
Researchers use antibiotics combo to kill first strain of highly resistant E. coli
Excerpted from Infection Control Today: The recent discovery of E. coli carrying mcr-1 and ndm-5 — genes that make the bacterium immune to last-resort antibiotics — has left clinicians without an effective means of treatment for this bacterium. But in a new study, University at Buffalo researchers have assembled a team of three antibiotics that, together, are capable of eradicating the deadly bacterium. The groundbreaking research was recently published in mBio,...
Mosquitoes capable of carrying Zika virus may have colony in Ontario
The insects tested negative for both the Zika and West Nile virus Species can carry Dengue fever From CBC.ca: A mosquito species capable of transmitting the Zika virus and other tropical diseases may have established a colony in southwestern Ontario, a development that could mean changes for Canadian healthcare providers. Two adult Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, were recently trapped in Windsor-Essex, following the 17 found last year, according to the...
BCCDC Influenza Update: Sporadic Flu Detections in BC
Sporadic influenza activity has been detected in BC and elsewhere in Canada this summer, with some provinces reporting summer outbreaks in long-term care facilities. Influenza A(H3N2) had been the predominant subtype during this period. In the southern hemisphere where they are in the midst of their winter seasonal epidemic, influenza activity has increased or peaked in most countries in recent weeks. In Australia and New Zealand, influenza activity predominately due to...
Canadian scientists find new way to attack antibiotic-resistant lung infections
Excerpted from CBC.ca Enzymes used to break down the walls built by microbes Canadian scientists have discovered a possible way to break through the defences of some antibiotic-resistant respiratory infections. It's hoped that the findings could someday benefit people with cystic fibrosis and other chronic lung diseases who are at greater risk of infections. The research looked at biofilms, which are one of the main causes of hospital-acquired infections. Microbes form biofilms on...
Stethoscope hygiene failures can lead to patient infections
Excerpted from: Outbreak News Today You can lead a doctor to disinfection, but how do you get them to clean…or wipe ….or swab a stethoscope? That’s the question raised by a new quality improvement project published in the July issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). It is the latest report to find that healthcare providers rarely perform stethoscope hygiene between...