Efficacy of copper-impregnated antimicrobial surfaces against spores.

Objective: () is one of the most common causes of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Elimination of spores is difficult as they are resistant to common hospital-grade disinfectants. Copper-impregnated surfaces provide continuous reduction of multiple pathogens, potentially lowering the risk of infections.

Understanding the significance of microbiota recovered from health care surfaces.

Background: Microbial contamination of hospital surfaces remains despite adherence to routine disinfection. Our study demonstrates bioburden from various types of hospital high-touch surfaces and the pathogenicity of all bacteria recovered.

Methods: Several high-touch hospital surfaces from a single medical-surgical unit were sampled and cultured using replicate organism detection and counting (RODAC) Tryptic Soy agar plates.

Case of Extensively Drug-Resistant Shigella sonnei Infection, United States.

We report extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella sonnei infection in an immunocompromised patient in Texas, USA. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry failed to identify XDR Shigella, but whole-genome sequencing accurately characterized the strain. First-line antimicrobials are not effective against emerging XDR Shigella.

Efficacy of a filtered far-UVC handheld disinfection device in reducing the microbial bioburden of hospital surfaces.

Background: The filtered far-UV-C (FFUV) handheld disinfection device is a small portable device that emits far UV-C at 222 nm. The objective of this study was to evaluate the device's ability to kill microbial pathogens on hospital surfaces and compare it to manual disinfection using germicidal sodium hypochlorite wipes.

Methods: A total of 344 observations (4 observations from 86 objects' surfaces) were sampled with 2 paired samples per surface: a pre- and a post-sodium hypochlorite and FFUV sample.