The microorganisms that inhabit hospitals may significantly influence patient recovery rates and outcomes (REFs). To develop a community level understating of how microorganisms colonize and move through the hospital environment, we mapped microbial dynamics between hospital surfaces, air and water to patients and staff over the course of one year as a new hospital became operational. Immediately following the introduction of staff and patients, the hospital microbiome became dominated by human skin-associated bacteria. Human skin samples had the lowest microbial diversity, while the greatest diversity was found on surfaces interacting with outdoor environments. The microbiota of patient room surfaces, especially bedrails, consistently resembled the skin microbial community of the current patient, with degree of similarity significantly correlated to higher humidity and lower temperatures. Microbial similarity between staff members showed a significant seasonal trend being greatest in late summer/early fall correlating with increased humidity.

This case illustrates the need for careful screening prior to administration of smallpox vaccine and awareness by clinicians of the ongoing vaccination program and the potential risk for severe adverse events related to vaccinia virus.

The CANMWG developed recommendations for the prevention and control of MRSA colonization and infection in the NICU and agreed that recommendations should expand to include future data generated by further studies. Continuing partnerships between hospital infection control personnel and public health professionals will be crucial in honing appropriate guidelines for effective approaches to the management and control of MRSA colonization and infection in NICUs.

CO-MRSA rates and the contribution of USA300 MRSA varied dramatically across diverse geographical areas in the United States. Enhanced infection control efforts are unlikely to account for such variation in CO infection rates. Bioecological and clinical explanations for geographical differences in CO-MRSA bacteremia rates merit further study.

MRSA can be passed from mother to preterm infant through contaminated breast milk, even in the absence of maternal infection. Colonization and clinical disease can result.

Nearly half of HCWs with influenza were afebrile prior to their diagnosis. HCWs with respiratory symptoms but no fever may pose a risk of influenza transmission to patients and coworkers.

Because dialyzers with removable headers and O-rings are widely used in patients receiving long-term hemodialysis, disinfection procedures should include measures to ensure adequate disinfection of O-rings.

BACKGROUND Despite significant advances in technological methods for hand hygiene surveillance, a lack of evidence prohibits comparison of systems to one another or against the current gold standard of direct observation. OBJECTIVE To validate a hand hygiene monitoring technology (HHMT) designed to capture hand hygiene behaviors aggregated at the hospital-unit level (GOJO Industries, Akron, OH). METHODS Our team followed a rigorous validation approach to assess the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of an HHMT. A planned path was first used to measure the accuracy of the system when purposefully activated by investigators. Next, behavioral validation was used to quantify accuracy of the system in capturing real-world behaviors. RESULTS During the planned path phase, investigators performed 4,872 unique events across 3 distinct hospital buildings varying in size and age since construction. Overall sensitivity across the medical center was 88.7% with a PPV of 99.2%. During the behavioral validation phase, trained direct observers recorded 5,539 unique events across 3 distinct hospital buildings. Overall sensitivity across the medical center was 92.7% and PPV was 84.4%. CONCLUSION Objective measures of sensitivity and PPV indicate the promise of the benefit of this and other HHMTs to capture basic behaviors associated with hand hygiene. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:348-352.