Consistent Infection Prevention: Vital During Routine and Emerging Infectious Diseases Care

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Terri Rebmann ◽  
Ruth Carrico
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Occupational Exposures ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Adequate Knowledge

Emerging infectious diseases impact healthcare providers in the United States and globally. Nurses play a vital role in protecting the health of patients, visitors, and fellow staff members during routine practice and biological disasters, such as bioterrorism, pandemics, or outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases. One vital nursing practice is proper infection prevention procedures. Failure to practice correctly and consistently can result in occupational exposures or disease transmission. This article reviews occupational health risks, and pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions for nurses who provide care to patients with new or re-emerging infectious diseases. Infection prevention education based on existing infection prevention competencies is critical to ensure adequate knowledge and safe practice both every day and in times of limited resources. Challenges specific to infectious disease disasters are discussed, as well as the role of microorganisms and nurse education for infection prevention.

scholarly journals Emerging infectious disease preparedness and response in healthcare: perspectives from COVID-19 and the role of College-Learnt Microbiology

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-321
Author(s):  
J. Tonui ◽  
W. Chepkutto ◽  
J. Rotich
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Microbial Pathogens ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Emerging Infections

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began in December 2019 in Wuhan City China where it is believed to have been transmitted to humans from an unknown animal species. The public health, social and economic impact of the pandemic world over is detrimental. Health care providers at the frontline in the fight against COVID-19 are at the greatest risk of infection and so far, many have been infected and some have already died from the disease. Thus, it is imperative that healthcare providers have adequate knowledge of infectious diseases and microbial pathogens to comprehend the scale of risk for better recognition and response. Microbiological concepts of infection prevention and control, hand hygiene and aseptic techniques are essential in slowing down the spread of the virus. COVID-19 has proven that infectious agents can emerge from any region in the world and can spread rapidly with ominous consequences to all humanity. This narrative review discusses the role of college-learnt microbiology in health care provider preparedness for emerging infectious diseases in light of the current pandemic. Keywords: Emerging; Infections; Preparedness; Response; Microbiology; COVID-19; Training

scholarly journals From People to Panthera: Natural SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Tigers and Lions at the Bronx Zoo

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise McAloose ◽  
Melissa Laverack ◽  
Leyi Wang ◽  
Mary Lea Killian ◽  
Leonardo C. Caserta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Genomic Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cellular Damage ◽  
Animal Reservoir ◽  
Live Virus ◽  
The World

ABSTRACT Despite numerous barriers to transmission, zoonoses are the major cause of emerging infectious diseases in humans. Among these, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and ebolaviruses have killed thousands; the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has killed millions. Zoonoses and human-to-animal cross-species transmission are driven by human actions and have important management, conservation, and public health implications. The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, which presumably originated from an animal reservoir, has killed more than half a million people around the world and cases continue to rise. In March 2020, New York City was a global epicenter for SARS-CoV-2 infections. During this time, four tigers and three lions at the Bronx Zoo, NY, developed mild, abnormal respiratory signs. We detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in respiratory secretions and/or feces from all seven animals, live virus in three, and colocalized viral RNA with cellular damage in one. We produced nine whole SARS-CoV-2 genomes from the animals and keepers and identified different SARS-CoV-2 genotypes in the tigers and lions. Epidemiologic and genomic data indicated human-to-tiger transmission. These were the first confirmed cases of natural SARS-CoV-2 animal infections in the United States and the first in nondomestic species in the world. We highlight disease transmission at a nontraditional interface and provide information that contributes to understanding SARS-CoV-2 transmission across species. IMPORTANCE The human-animal-environment interface of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an important aspect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that requires robust One Health-based investigations. Despite this, few reports describe natural infections in animals or directly link them to human infections using genomic data. In the present study, we describe the first cases of natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in tigers and lions in the United States and provide epidemiological and genetic evidence for human-to-animal transmission of the virus. Our data show that tigers and lions were infected with different genotypes of SARS-CoV-2, indicating two independent transmission events to the animals. Importantly, infected animals shed infectious virus in respiratory secretions and feces. A better understanding of the susceptibility of animal species to SARS-CoV-2 may help to elucidate transmission mechanisms and identify potential reservoirs and sources of infection that are important in both animal and human health.

Manual of Infection Prevention and Control

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nizam Damani
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Surgical Site Infections ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Antimicrobial Activities ◽  
Cross Infection ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
And Control

The Manual of Infection Prevention and Control provides practical guidance on all aspects of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). It outlines the basic concepts of infection prevention and control (IPC), modes of transmission, surveillance, control of outbreaks, epidemiology, and biostatistics. The book provides up-to-date advice on the triage and isolation of patients and on new and emerging infectious diseases, and with the use of illustrations, it provides a step-by-step approach on how to perform hand hygiene and how to don and take off personal protective equipment correctly. In addition, this section also outlines how to minimize cross-infection by healthcare building design and prevent the transmission of various infectious diseases from infected patients after death. The disinfection and sterilization section reviews how to risk assess, disinfect and/or sterilize medical items and equipment, antimicrobial activities, and the use of various chemical disinfectants and antiseptics, and how to decontaminate endoscopes. The section on the prevention of HAIs reviews and updates IPC guidance on the prevention of the most common HAIs, i.e. surgical site infections, infections associated with intravascular and urinary catheters, and hospital- and ventilator-acquired pneumonias. In view of the global emergence of antimicrobial resistance to the various pathogens, the book examines and provides practical advice on how to implement an antibiotic stewardship programme and prevent cross-infection against various multi-drug resistant pathogens. Amongst other pathogens, the book also reviews IPC precautions against various haemorrhagic and bloodborne viral infections. The section on support services discusses the protection of healthcare workers, kitchen, environmental cleaning, catering, laundry services, and clinical waste disposal services.

Factors Contributing to the Occurrence of Emerging Infectious Diseases

2003 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 258-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felissa R. Lashley
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
The United States ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Global Village ◽  
Human Control ◽  
Lifestyle Choices ◽  
Social Opportunities ◽  
The Stability

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) have been receiving increasing attention for more than two decades. Such attention has resulted from observations of increasing resistance of microorganisms to the usual antibiotics, the identification of formerly unknown disease agents and the diseases they cause, and the realization that the concept of globalization includes global exposure to disease agents formerly confined to small, endemic, or remote areas. Sadly, in the fall of 2001, the potential for using microbial agents as instruments of terror and destruction became obvious with the incidents of anthrax spread in the United States, mainly through the mail, although chemical and biological agents had already been used in this way in the past century. The relationship between infectious diseases and social, political, and economic change from the earliest times to the present has been well documented. Emerging infectious diseases and their basic causes present a threat to the stability of nations and indeed the world. Reasons for the emergence/reemergence of infectious diseases are complex and interrelated. The global village provides global economic and social opportunities but also opportunities for disease emergence and transmission. Although characteristics of microorganisms such as genetic adaptive changes are important in the emergence of infectious diseases, factors under human control play a large role. Behavioral and lifestyle choices are also a major influence on the emergence and spread of many EIDs and require attention. Factors contributing to the appearance of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases are discussed.

scholarly journals From Experimental Procedure to Clinical Practice: How Much Evidence Do We Need in Uterine Transplantation?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabina Gainotti ◽  
Carlo Petrini
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Embryo Implantation ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Functional Abnormality ◽  
Experimental Procedure

Background: Absolute uterine factor infertility (AUFI) is a kind of infertility that is completely attributable to uterine absence (surgical or congenital for women with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome: MRKH) or anatomic or functional abnormality that prevents embryo implantation or completion of pregnancy to term. Until recently, the only viable option to parenthood for couples with AUFI were adoption or surrogacy. Since a first attempt of uterus transplant (UTx) in 2000, nine babies were born from women with a transplanted uterus from 2014, eight of which in Sweden, and one in the United States. These promising results are raising immense hopes for the women with AUFI and there is optimism about the possibility for UTx to become part of clinical care even though, besides encouraging results, the procedure has also resulted in increased risks and harms for both the donors and recipients and increased risks of premature birth for the fetus. At present UTx is still considered as experimental and requiring more research and safety assessment before becoming a therapeutic option for AUFI. The transition from experimental procedure to therapeutic care would result in less strict ethical scrutiny for UTx and in the possibility for patients to get reimbursement for the procedure by the relevant healthcare insurance or public healthcare providers. In turn, an increase in the number of UTx performed yearly by specialized surgical teams would result in a general improvement of the “field strength”. However, at present it is difficult to establish the amount of evidence that we need in order to consider UTx as no longer experimental but routine clinical practice. The literature on UTx provides recommendations on the different outcomes that should be monitored in this experimental phase but no study is anticipating the number of subjects that should be followed and for how long. Conclusion: As for other transplants that have become routine practice, like renal transplant and heart transplant, it is likely that the decision on “routine practice readiness” will result from available cumulated evidences, from expert capacity to find a consensus on best practices and on political considerations as well, including pressures form patients and patient groups.

scholarly journals SIR Mathematical Model of Convalescent Plasma Transfusion Applied to the COVID-19 Pandemic Data in Indonesia to Control the Spread of the Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 2084 (1) ◽  
pp. 012022
Author(s):  
Hennie Husniah ◽  
Ruhanda ◽  
Asep Kuswandi Supriatna
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Sir Model ◽  
Difficult Problem ◽  
Plasma Transfusion ◽  
Preventive Actions ◽  
Discrete Mathematical Model

Abstract In this paper we develop a mathematical model of disease transmission dynamics. Although some vaccines for some infectious diseases are available, there are some cases where handling new emerging infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 pandemic, is still a difficult problem to handle. Preventive actions, such as wearing masks, distance guarding, frequent hand washing, and others are still the most important interventions in handling the transmission of this disease. Recently, several countries have allowed the use of convalescent plasma transfusion (CPT) in the management of moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. Several early studies of this use have yielded prospective results with reduced mortality rates. A recent work also shows that using a simple discrete mathematical model of CPT could reduce the outbreak of disease transmission, in the sense of reducing the peak number of active cases and the length of the outbreak itself. In this paper, we use a continuous SIR model applied to COVID-19 pandemic data in Indonesia to address an important question whether convalescent plasma transfusion may reduce the transmission of the disease.

Measles Spread in Medical Settings: An Important Focus of Disease Transmission?

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 356-358
Author(s):  
Gregory R. Istre ◽  
Phyllis A. Mckee ◽  
Gary R. West ◽  
Dennis J. O’Mara ◽  
Philip J. Rettig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
The United States ◽  
Waiting Room ◽  
Medical Settings ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Measles Elimination ◽  
Medical Office ◽  
Measles Vaccination

During the period September 1981 to August 1985, we investigated every reported case of measles in Oklahoma to confirm the diagnosis, to determine the source, and to identify contacts to prevent spread of the disease. During this time, 33 serologically and/or epidemiologically confirmed cases were investigated. Nine (27%) persons acquired measles in a medical office or clinic waiting area. Eight of these recalled direct face-to-face contact with a source. An additional six (18%) cases were associated with exposure to these medically acquired cases, for a total of 45% that were the direct or indirect result of exposures in medical waiting rooms. The medical waiting room is a location where a reservoir of susceptible individuals may congregate, allowing for potential exposures to measles and other infectious diseases. Because many persons in these settings are too young to have received routine measles vaccination, other measures to decrease exposures in this setting may be necessary to achieve the goal of measles elimination in the United States.

Creating monsters for the greater good of humanity: Conflicting interests of science and homeland security

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Patrick P. Rose, PhD ◽  
Clark J. Lee, JD ◽  
Sarah E. Sasor, MEng ◽  
Earl Stoddard III, PhD, MPH
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
The United States ◽  
United States Government ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Risks And Benefits ◽  
Department Of Health

Society’s rising expectations for improved treatments and better health outcomes continuously push the boundaries of discovery in biomedical research. One focus of such research is to develop the newest drugs to address humanity’s increasing exposure to emerging infectious diseases. This has led both privately and publicly funded researchers to take on the task of studying highly infectious diseases in laboratory settings. Illustrating this phenomenon is the recent work of two research laboratories at universities that have demonstrated how easily the avian flu virus (influenza A H5N1) could be manipulated into a highly infectious and deadly form for humans. These studies, which were funded by the United States Government through the National Institutes of Health of the US Department of Health and Human Services, have sparked a fierce debate as to their risks and benefits to humankind. Lacking in the current debate, however, is any significant attempt to describe in basic terms the risks and benefits of such research or the basic safeguards already built into the biomedical research enterprise that serves to protect the public’s welfare.In this article, the authors will attempt to frame the ongoing debate for those outside the scientific research community by discussing a number of competing public policy issues that the recent H5N1 controversy raises about research on dangerous pathogens or biological agents and the concerns that emergency planners and managers nation-wide face when such research is conducted in their communities.

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