Research suggests that the air we breathe is teeming with over 1,800 different types of bacteria, spores and other pathogens. Most of these microbes are completely harmless, and don’t have any impact on our health at all. However, there...
November 18-24 is World Antimicrobial Awareness Week. As such, we’ve taken the opportunity to look at one of the known “superbugs” of our time – methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). But what is MRSA and why is it such a...
Seasonal strains of influenza infect 5-15% of the global population each year, resulting in 500,000 deaths worldwide.1 In the UK, it is estimated that around 25,000 deaths are caused by influenza every year,2 though the burden of the virus...
Influenza is commonly regarded as one of the world’s greatest public health challenges, with an estimated one billion cases across the globe each year1. But why is influenza such a challenge and what can healthcare settings do to defend...
With the colder part of the year approaching, now is the time to look at one of the most common viruses in the UK – Norovirus. Sometimes referred to as the ‘winter vomiting disease’, norovirus is an illness that...
If you’ve been following the news, you’ll be aware that monkeypox has been making the headlines. Cases have been popping up in a number of nations in the western world, including the UK. In fact, at the time of...
Continuing our look at different strains of Hepatitis as part of World Hepatitis Day (WHD), it’s important to raise awareness of the effects that Hepatitis A can have on those afflicted. Hepatitis A shares similar symptoms to the other...
Within dentistry, stringent dental infection control measures are vital in order to protect patients and staff. Dental professionals must decontaminate their equipment, implement a dirty-to-clean workflow, and dispose of their waste correctly. However, infection control is a continuous battle,...
Over the last two years Coronavirus has taken over the entire world. Everyone’s lives have been affected by the virus in one way or another. The pandemic has raised the importance of infection control for communities everywhere. Measures were...
In order to achieve a high standard of infection control and prevent the transmission of disease, the chain of infection needs to be broken. But what is the chain of infection? In simple terms, there are typically four links...