Infection Prevention & You QUICK TIPS
The following healthcare topics provide helpful tips and information for healthcare professionals and patients alike on their role in stopping the transmission of infection.
Copyright disclosure
The resources on the following pages are free to download and share. We encourage the use of our consumer resources for infection prevention education, provided that the information is not modified. Please attribute these resources to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and include the links to additional resources (if applicable). If you have questions, please contact info@apic.org.
RSV
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that infects the respiratory tract. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under 1 year of age. Most children will have been infected with the virus by their second birthday. Humans are the only known source of RSV.
Poliovirus: An Eliminated Disease Reemerged
Poliovirus causes poliomyelitis (most often referred to simply as “polio”), which is a disabling and potentially fatal viral illness only found in humans. Polio outbreaks used to be common throughout the world, but thanks to highly effective and safe vaccines developed in 1955, polio was eradicated in many countries. Like other vaccine-preventable diseases, polio cases can still occur when susceptible persons are exposed to the virus. In the United States and other countries where polio is no longer endemic, exposure is most often due to travel or possibly from vaccine-derived exposure related to inadequate sanitation practices.
Group A Strep (GAS) and invasive GAS (iGAS): Dangerous Bacteria that May Lead to Life-Threatening Illness
Group A Streptococcus is also known as Streptococcus pyogenes or “group A strep (GAS).” GAS bacteria are very contagious. This bacterium can affect anyone, because it spreads easily from person to person. The risk of spread is greatest when a person is ill, for example, with a strep throat or an infected wound.
Adult Vaccination: You Never Outgrow Vaccines
Vaccine-preventable diseases haven’t gone away. The truth is that the viruses and bacteria that cause illness and death still exist and can be passed on to people who are not protected by vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) recommend vaccinations from birth through adulthood to provide a lifetime of protection against many diseases and infections, such as influenza, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis A, and hepatitis B. Yet most adults are not vaccinated as recommended, leaving them needlessly vulnerable to illness, long-term suffering, and even death.
Candida auris—A new threat to patients
Candida auris (C. auris) is a type of fungus that can cause severe infections that can be fatal. What makes C. auris particularly concerning is its ability to cause outbreaks in healthcare settings and its resistance to multiple antifungal drugs. Due to its resistance and how hard it is to treat, C. auris is considered an emerging public health threat.
Preventing infections in children during respiratory virus season
The winter of 2022-23 is shaping up to be a severe flu and respiratory virus season. Children, in particular, are getting sick with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in large numbers this year, and hospitals are becoming overwhelmed.
Preparing for Natural Disasters
So many of us feel like we can barely manage the things that demand our immediate attention, like families, jobs, and housework, while other important things like physical activity, social time, and relaxation can get put aside. Another important thing that frequently gets put aside is disaster planning and preparedness, but this is a situation where a little bit of planning can result in a lot of peace of mind.
How to Be a Good (and Healthy) Roommate
It’s that time of year again when many young adults are heading off to college for the first time with new adventures and experiences awaiting them. These new experiences may include having a roommate or using a community bathroom and shower. Unfortunately, personal hygiene may not be a priority for everyone on your dorm floor, so we want to give you some tips on how to be a good roommate and how to stay healthy while away at school.
Tuberculosis: TB in a post-COVID era
Tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient disease that has evaded eradication for centuries despite global public health efforts. In the United States (U.S.), we’ve seen a steady decline in cases over the last three decades, with the lowest case rate yet in 2020 at 2.2 cases per 100,000 population reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While the 2020 data is encouraging, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB eradication efforts are coming into focus; 2021 data indicates an increase in case rates to 2.4 per 100,000 population (a 9.4% increase).
Who are infection preventionists?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
1 in 31 hospitalized patients will get an infection as a result of the care they receive, and an estimated 75,000 patients will die each year. Because healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a threat to patient safety, many hospitals and healthcare facilities have made the prevention and reduction of these infections a top priority.
What are healthcare-associated infections?
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that patients can get in a healthcare facility while receiving medical care. These infections are often preventable. No matter where you are—a hospital, a long-term care facility, outpatient surgery center, dialysis center, doctor’s office—you are at risk for infections.