H5 viruses in birds spread rapidly
Avian H5 viruses have spread rapidly globally according to a report by the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID). The first Eurasian Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N8 was reported in January 2014 in countries such as South Korea, China, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Italy by December. […]
U.S. helps launch African CDC
The African Centres for Disease Control (African CDC) is set to launch in 2015 according to a press release by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The U.S. and the African Union Commission have joined forces to create the new program. The Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) was signed by U.S. Secretary of State John […]
The Ebola virus continues to be a serious issue for healthcare professionals
The Ebola virus continues to be a serious issue healthcare professionals. As discussed in the last blog, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently emphasized the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE). Healthcare workers put themselves at risk in order to treat those infected. However, PPE can keep professionals safe. This is […]
Healthcare Workers: Protect Yourselves!
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk for exposure to serious, and sometimes deadly, diseases. If you work directly with patients or handle material that could spread infection, you should get appropriate vaccines to reduce the chance that you will get or spread vaccine-preventable diseases. Protect yourself, your patients, and your family members. Make sure you […]
How to prevent needlestick and sharps injuries
CDC: “Needlestick and other sharps injuries are a serious hazard in any healthcare setting. Contact with contaminated needles, scalpels, broken glass, and other sharps may expose healthcare workers to blood that contains pathogens which pose a grave, potentially lethal risk. If you experience a needlestick or sharps injury or are exposed to the blood or […]
Puncture: Exposure for Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure
A dedicated and hard-working nurse is going through a normal shift. Checking vital signs, updating medical records, administering medications, comforting patients, drawing blood samples, inserting IVs, and then OUCH! What just happened? Is that a red dot underneath the glove? This can’t be right… Read more
TB Data Statistics
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world’s deadliest diseases: One third of the world’s population are infected with TB. In 2011, nearly 9 million people around the world became sick with TB disease. There were around 1.4 million TB-related deaths worldwide. TB is a leading killer of people who are HIV infected. A total of […]
Viral Hepatitis Transmission
Viral Hepatitis Transmission People can be infected with the three most common types of hepatitis in these ways: • HAV: Ingestion of contaminated fecal matter, even in tiny amounts, from close person-to-person contact with an infected person, sexual contact with an infected person, or contaminated food, drink, or objects. • HBV: Contact with infectious blood, […]
CDC Scientists Produce Speedy Results Analyzing H7N9 Virus
Hepatitis Testing Day
May 19, 2013 is Hepatitis Testing Day. Health care workers are at risk of contracting hepatitis B and C in the workplace. Doctors, nurses, and other staff are predominately exposed to these devastating and incurable diseases through needle sticks and other sharps injuries or when fluids from patients splash onto their eyes, nose, or mouth. Hepatitis […]
Benefits of Testing for Current HCV Infection
Testing for HCV Infection: Accurate testing to identify current infection is important to: 1) Help clinicians and other providers correctly identify persons infected with HCV, so that preventive services, care and treatment can be offered; 2) Notify tested persons of their infection status, enabling them to make informed decisions about medical care and options for […]
Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention
What can be done to control exposure to bloodborne pathogens? In order to reduce or eliminate the hazards of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens, an employer must implement an exposure control plan for the worksite with details on employee protection measures. The plan must also describe how an employer will use a combination of engineering […]