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ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter: June 2023

This issue covers some of the most significant news from June. Topics include MRSA, nursing homes, Candida auris, malaria, hand hygiene and flexible endoscopes.

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Updated Guidance Shows How Hospitals Should Protect Patients from Resistant Infections — Five medical organizations led by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) issued updated recommendations for preventing MRSA.
 
Decolonization Protocol Tied to Dramatically Reduced MRSA in Critically Ill Infants — Research showed a decolonization protocol normally used in older patients was associated with a sharp reduction in MRSA infections in critically ill infants.
 
APIC Calls for Dedicated Infection Prevention Staff at All Long-Term Care Facilities to Prevent Deaths of Seniors — APIC called on the federal government to require full-time infection control specialists at nursing homes.
 
US Hospital Data Show High Death Rate With Candida Auris Infections — An analysis of US hospitalizations linked to Candida auris found an estimated mortality rate of about one-third.
 
Better Tests Needed to Identify Candida auris Susceptibility — The American Society for Microbiology called for the development of antifungal susceptibility testing for Candida auris.
 
IDSA 2023 Guidance on the Treatment of Antimicrobial Resistant Gram-Negative Infections — IDSA released updated guidance on the treatment of antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative infections.
 
Locally Acquired Malaria Cases Identified in the United States — CDC issued an alert following reports of locally acquired malaria infections in Florida and Texas.
 
Gentle Cleansers and Harsh Soaps Equally Effective at Killing Deadly Viruses, Study Finds — Research found that gentle cleansers are just as effective as harsh soaps at killing certain viral pathogens that are common targets in healthcare facility infection control.
 
Best Practices for Flexible Endoscopes Storage — An Infection Control Today column shared recommendations for storing endoscopes clean, safe and intact.
 
WHO Lays Out Research Priorities for Antimicrobial Resistance — The World Health Organization published its first global research agenda for combatting antimicrobial resistance.
 
CDC Advisors Recommend RSV Vaccine Approval. What It Means for Older Adults — A respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for older adults could soon be available after a CDC advisory committee voted to recommend them.