Another patient has been infected with the potentially deadly Legionnaires’ disease in upstate New York,  and public health officials there are saying that the bacteria which causes the deadly respiratory ailment has been found at a second site, a Syracuse nursing home.

Scientists searching for the source of the outbreak discovered the “Legionella bacteria that causes the illness in the water system of the 526-bed Van Duyn Home and Hospital,” said Gary Sauda, the Onondaga County director of environmental health.

The disease is a frightful form of pneumonia. Patients become infected by inhaling airborne water droplets that contain the bacteria. In epidemics of this disease, people up to two miles away from the source can be infected. The nursing home and hospital are located less than a half mile apart.

Thu far one person has died since the outbreak began June 30, and another 12 have been infected.

Investigators suspect the outbreak was caused by Legionella bacteria discovered in one of the air conditioning cooling towers at Community General Hospital of Syracuse, N.Y. but they have not yet definitively proven that hypothesis. Six of 13 people infected by the bacteria were Community General patients.

– by Gene J. Koprowski, MA, Editorial Director

Nursing home patients at risk of infection by Legionella bacteria.

Posted: July 17th, 2008 under Droplet Precautions, Hand Hygiene, Impaired Immunity, Legionnaires' Disease, Masks Control Transmission.
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Though gyms, health clubs, and athletic facilities are not high risk places for disease, staph and other infections are no stranger to such locales. So says The Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. The doctors there recommend preventative measures to stymie infections, and that health clubs post warnings on these precautions.

Staph has been contracted at health clubs across the country.

These precautions are primary says Nicole Coffin, a spokeswoman for the CDC:

• Wash hands.
• Don’t share personal items.
• Cover draining wounds.

The manager of the Gold’s Gym in San Francisco, who goes by the name of “Bo,” takes special measures to keep staph infection low. “We have added sanitizing wipes to every corner of our gym that people can use. The signs have information by the San Francisco Health Department,” he says.

According to Herbert DuPont, M.D., professor of medical sciences at the University of Texas, who has studied gym hygiene, environments that are characterized by warmth and moisture will be a great breeding ground for bacteria. Athletic facilities are at “high risk for colonization,” even infection, but low risk for disease, he adds.

So-called “boxercise gloves,” used for gym boxing classes, contain species of bacteria, often linked to infections. Sweaty residue on gym equipment, particularly the machines often used by several people in quick succession, can also harbor streptococcal infections and even candida, a germ linked to problems in the intestines and bowel.

Catching the Herpes virus is also a risk if the sweat of an infected person gets onto gym mats or other surfaces. It isn’t sweating itself that’s the problem, but bacteria. “The actual sweat is really not a problem,” says Dr. DuPont.

Amy Lang, owner of the Pacific Heights Health Club in San Francisco, uses an array of cleaning methods, including constantly wiping down equipment with anti-viral gym wipes. She also says she uses hot temperature on towels and cleans with bleaches. She adds, regarding athletes foot with showers, “we went with all man-made materials in the shower—floors that are non- porous.”

At 24 Hour Fitness, San Francisco, the fitness club chain offers these remedies, following recommendations by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM):

• Wash hands before and after workouts with soap and water, or hand sanitizer.
• Keep skin lesions covered with a clean, dry dressing.
• Limit sharing of personal items.

How dangerous is the likelihood of staph infection at the local gym? Possible, but not highly likely. “One in three people carry staph on their skin. They can spread infections anywhere in the community,” epidemiologist Jeff Hageman says. Hageman, is one of the scientists tracking MRSA at the CDC. “We see outbreaks in settings where there is crowding, a lot of skin contact, and, often, a lack of good hygiene,”

Why do so many people carry staph germs? Because the human body is the staph bacterium’s natural habitat, says Gordon Dickinson, M.D., chief of infectious diseases at the University of Miami and the Miami VA Medical Center.

Another physician, Dr. Kent Aftergut, an assistant clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, says he has treated about a half dozen people from gyms.

Studies by scientists of health facilities and gyms continue. The general consensus for infection prevention at health clubs is hand washing and general hygiene.

–by Peter Menkin, San Francisco Correspondent

MRSA affects the legs, arms, and torso. 

Posted: March 12th, 2008 under Anti-Bacterial Resources, Droplet Precautions, Feature Stories, Hand Hygiene, MRSA.
Comments: 1

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is moving forward with additional measures, as part of a “comprehensive plan” to address public safety concerns regarding a national biocontainment research laboratory now under construction at Boston University Medical Center.

Research in the laboratory will focus on the development of diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines for an array of infectious diseases.

“Our number one concern is the safety of the people working in the laboratory and those living in the surrounding communities,” Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., NIH director, says.

NIH has established an internal Coordinating Committee to guide the agency’s efforts to address safety concerns raised by community representatives and other members of the public.

NIH also has established a blue ribbon panel, chaired by Adel Mahmoud, M.D., Ph.D., of Princeton University, that will review current risk assessments and provide independent technical expertise and guidance. The panel includes experts in infectious diseases, public health and epidemiology, risk assessment, environmental justice, risk communications, biodefense, biosafety, and infectious disease modeling. “The biomedical research conducted in facilities such as the one under construction at Boston University Medical Center is essential for developing vaccines, therapies, and diagnostics to protect the American public against infectious diseases that may occur naturally or be deliberately introduced,” says Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

“Through a transparent process, we will thoroughly examine any potential risks to the community associated with this project and continue to promote open communication and mutual understanding,” he adds.

In accord with NEPA, NIH completed a Final Environmental Impact Statement and issued a Record of Decision in February 2006 that affirmed the safety of the laboratory. Supplementary risk assessments were drafted in response to concerns raised in a federal court proceeding regarding a challenge to NIH’s previous review.

– by The Editors

A new biocontainment laboratory being built in Boston is generating national controversy.

Posted: March 7th, 2008 under Anti-Bacterial Resources, Antibiotic Resistant, Droplet Precautions, Hand Hygiene, Infection Protection, Masks Control Transmission, Parasites and Lice.
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Massive outbreaks of Influenza B — an exceptionally potent strain of the disease — have been diagnosed at 20 nursing homes and several hospitals across the state of Maine, according to press reports.

Visitors are being denied access to their relatives in homes there, while the outbreak runs its natural course.

Nursing homes are cancelling all group activities, and residents are being kept in their rooms to limit the opportunity for spreading the virus. Common dining rooms are not being used, and residents are taking their meals in their rooms. A redoubled effort is going into hand washing, some staff members are wearing paper masks, and handrails and other surfaces are being wiped down regularly with an antiseptic solution, experts said.

All residents and staff have been dosed with the antiviral medication Tamiflu to help prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

The infection prevention measures at Bangor Nursing and Rehab, cited above, are being followed at residential facilities across the state, said Dr. Dora Anne Mills, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We’ve been hard hit,” Mills said. “It’s hitting everybody hard, but it usually hits the elderly harder.”

Even after nursing homes lift their restrictions, she said, family members and other visitors should take special precautions when visiting the aged and infirm.

“Make sure you’re completely well yourself and practice good hygiene,” she said. Practicing good hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes can help prevent a variety of illnesses.
– by The Editors

For more information, go to,

http://bangornews.com/news/t/city.aspx?articleid=161209&zoneid=176

The prevalence of Influenza B is increasing, scientists say.

Posted: March 6th, 2008 under Anti-Bacterial Resources, Droplet Precautions, Hand Hygiene, Infection Protection.
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Scientists may have finally found the answer to the persistent problem of getting doctors and nurses to wash their hands — a loud, annoying, and repeating beep.

A new technology developed by Toronto researchers, on the market as early as a year hence, equips health care officials and others involved in direct patient care, with a small sensor attached to their identification badge or lanyard.

Medical personnel who approach patients with “unwashed hands” will hear a beep, reminding them it is time to clean up. By squeezing a hand gel sanitizer taken from a wall dispenser, also outfitted with a sensor, the sound is turned off.

According to Geoff Fernie, vice president of research for the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,  the device, which costs roughly $300 a hospital bed, may reduce MRSA and other infections, as it will constantly remind busy health care workers to cleanse their hands.

– by The Editors

For more information, see

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080303.HAND03/TPStory/National

Animation. Stern warnings. Now beeping sounds used to remind docs, nurses to wash their hands.

Posted: March 4th, 2008 under Anti-Bacterial Resources, Antibiotic Resistant, Droplet Precautions, Hand Hygiene, Infection Protection, Masks Control Transmission.
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To prevent infections this festal Christmas season, safe food handling practices are essential, for hosts and guests alike. Epidemiologists and doctors recommend that holiday visitors wash their hands with soap and water before and after handling food items, and party hosts thoroughly cook poultry — including turkey, duck and chicken — to an internal temperature of at least 165° F. “Each year the public health department investigates cases of food poisoning during the holidays that are the result of undercooked food and poor food handling practices,” said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, director of public health and health officer for Los Angeles County, Calif. “Don’t allow food-borne illnesses to happen to your family this holiday season. Follow the instructions on package labeling to protect your family’s health.”

Raw turkey, chicken, or other meats may contain Campylobacter or Salmonella bacteria that cause diarrhea and other illnesses. These awful bacteria multiply rapidly when poultry is taken out of refrigeration and before it is thoroughly cooked. Freezing does not kill these bacteria, but they are destroyed when food is cooked to the proper temperature, experts said.

Most food-borne illness outbreaks are a result of contamination from food handlers. “When preparing holiday meals or any meal, the first rule of food safety is to wash your hands well with soap and water, before, in- between, and after handling food items,” said Dr. Fielding. “Also, if you are ill with diarrhea or vomiting, you should not prepare food for others. Bacteria or viruses may be transmitted to the food you are handling and may make others sick.”

Holiday food handling tips include the following:
 

* Wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating or cutting into them.
* Separate raw meats and poultry from other foods such as fruits and vegetables. Avoid cross-contamination by using separate cutting boards, knives, and platters for these foods.
* Keep hot foods hot. Use chafing dishes or pans with sternos or other heating devices, or keep foods in the oven at a temperature to ensure they remain at 135° F or above.
* Keep cold foods cold. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Throw out foods that should have been kept cold, but have been left out for more than two hours.

Raw or lightly cooked egg or egg products can cause food-borne illnesses and may be used in some salad dressings, cookie or cake batter, sauces such as hollandaise sauce, and beverages such as eggnog. Experts advise that one should avoid eating uncooked items made with these and substitute pasteurized eggs when preparing them. That will help keep you free from food-bourne illnesses this holiday season. – by Gene J. Koprowski, Editorial Director

                                                                    An image of the Salmonella bacteria.  (Photo courtesy of PNL. )

Posted: December 24th, 2007 under Droplet Precautions, Feature Stories, Hand Hygiene, Infection Protection, Parasites and Lice.
Comments: 1