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Experts Address How Cleaning and Disinfection Strategies Can Tackle Emerging Microbial Threats
By Kelly M . Pyrek
Addressing emerging threats was the theme of the Cleaning
& Disinfection Symposium held during the 2023 annual meeting of Infection Prevention & Control Canada ( IPAC ) in late May , with experts tackling imperatives ranging from dry surface biofilms to Candida auris infections and taking an all-encompassing approach to infection prevention . Let ’ s explore these emerging threats and the solutions proposed by these thought leaders .
• • • In her presentation on dry surface biofilms , clinical microbiologist consultant Michelle Alfa , PhD , FCCM , formerly a principal investigator at the St . Boniface Research Centre and a professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology at the University of Manitoba , acknowledged that most infection preventionists know of wet biofilms and issues around sink drains , but dry surface biofilms ( DSBs ) are just as prevalent and problematic in healthcare settings .
For example , Nkemngong , et al . ( 2020 ) remind us that “ Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are some of the most common causes of healthcare-acquired infections ( HAIs ). These pathogens can grow in the environment as biofilms . They attach to inert surfaces and can be encased by extracellular polymeric substances ( EPS ). Biofilms on high-touch surfaces are a known contributor to HAI infections ; they are estimated to account for 65 percent and 80 percent of microbial and chronic infections , respectively . Environmental surfaces ( e . g ., food trolleys , hospital commodes , bed rails ) and mobile patient-care equipment such as blood pressure cuffs and intravenous poles support the formation of biofilms by providing a platform for the attachment of planktonic bacterial cells … Once formed , biofilms are capable of growing on dry surfaces in healthcare facilities for protracted periods , surviving for as long as one year . The definition of a DSB is controversial , as there is no clear definition or test method to differentiate varying degrees of dehydrated or dry biofilms . DSBs have been reported to persistently grow on contaminated environmental surfaces in healthcare facilities and can therefore
14 july 2023 • www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com