Category: Infection Control

Smallpox, the only human disease to be fully eradicated, could reappear in the U.S. and across the globe, researchers said in a new report. 

Providence-based Rhode Island Hospital saw an increase in external ventricular drain infections after switching to a Medtronic device that has since been recalled, the CDC said April 11.

About 86% of infections following spine surgery could be linked to the patient’s natural skin microbiome, a recent study from Seattle-based University of Washington School of Medicine found.

Health systems are scaling back mask rules for staff, patients and visitors as respiratory virus season wanes.

The CDC acknowledged ventilation as a core strategy to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses in a March 22 guidance update. 

A recent study conducted by researchers in the U.K. found COVID-19 vaccines can reduce heart failure by up to 55% and blood clots by up to 78% after an infection.

Fifty-eight cases of measles have been reported in the first quarter of 2024, the same number of total cases in 2023, the CDC reported.

AI tools might be able to diagnose healthcare-associated infections, but human oversight is vital to ensuring patient safety, according to a study published March 13 in the American Journal of Infection Control. 

Cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children continue to be reported and saw a relative rise during fall 2023, the CDC reported.

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a final rule that will reduce ethylene oxide emissions from commercial sterilization facilities.