Tag: infection prevention control

Extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa causing infection outbreak.

Infections from a rare extensively drug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been identified in 12 states (CA, CO, CT, FL, NJ, NY, NV, TX, UT, WA, WI). Most of the infections were from patients who reported using artificial tears. Patients reported more than 10 brands of artificial tears, but most patients reported using Ezricare Artificial Tears, an over-the-counter product. Patients who were infected have experienced permanent vision loss resulting from a cornea infection, hospitalization, and one death has been reported due to a systematic infection (CDC, 2023). The University of California at San Diego’s Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics have identified a bacteriophage with activity against the outbreak strain. A minimum inhibitory concentration for aztreonam-avibactam has been identified, however, clinical breakpoints have not been established for antimicrobial combination.

Resources

  • For recommendations from the CDC for Healthcare Providers, Clinical Laboratories, and the Public, visit the link here.
  • Clinicians interested in phage as a potential treatment option should contact IPATH at ipath@health.ucsd.edu.
  • Susceptibility testing for this combination to inform clinical decision making is available through
  • CDC – refer to CDC Test Directory.

Cited Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, February 1). Health Alert Network (HAN) – 00485. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2023/han00485.asp

Mpox and the Monkey Pox Virus: Viral Naming and Genetic Influences

Dr. Elliot Lefkowitz joins us for a podcast to talk about Mpox, the Monkey Pox Virus, and how genetic mutations affects not only the effectiveness of viruses but how they are named and how scientists reach these conclusions.

This podcast is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Thank you to our co-sponsor for this podcast, the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health a community-based training partner of the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Elliot Lefkowitz, PhD
Professor, Microbiology, UAB, Executive Committee Member, International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses

Candida Auris: What is it? Can we stop it? (March 10, 2023, 12pm CST/ 1PM EST)

Rachael Lee, MD, MSPH

Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases, UAB

The Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance presents Candida auris: What is it? Can we stop it? Candida auris is an emerging, serious, drug-resistant fungal infection that is spreading worldwide. In this webinar, Ms. Mary Duncan (pictured right), Senior Director of Infection Prevention at the University of Alabama-Birmingham Health System, and Dr. Rachael Lee (pictured left), Associate Professor in the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases and UAB Health Epidemiologist, will discuss how Candida auris was identified, how it is spread, and why we should be concerned. Dr. Lee and Ms. Duncan will also identify what healthcare facilities can do to identify patients who may be infected/colonized with this fungus and prevent it from spreading within their facility.

This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Thank you to our co-sponsor for this podcast, the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health a community-based training partner of the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

The Deep South Center for OH&S is an approved provider of continuing education units for nurses by the AL Board of Nursing (Provider ABNP0420 Expiration Date 12/22/2025) and has awarded this program 1.0 CEUs.

Mary Duncan, MSN, RN, CIC

Senior Director of Infection Prevention, University of Alabama-Birmingham Health System

Evaluation Link

                                         

 

 

The Future of COVID-19 Vaccinations

The FDA’s expert panel on vaccines met last week (Thursday, January 26, 2023) to discuss the future use of the bivalent COVID shot, signaling the start of the FDA’s pivot to a longer-term immunization strategy. This is an important first step in a process that could result in millions of Americans receiving an annual Covid booster, similar to the flu vaccine. Any such changes will require more discussion and decisions, but the FDA appears to be shifting from responding to the pandemic’s acute phase to a longer-term norm. Dr. Suzanne Judd, Director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy and a Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, joined the podcast to discuss these topics and the future of COVID-19 vaccinations.

This podcast is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Thank you to our co-sponsor for this podcast, the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health a community-based training partner of the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Suzanne Judd, PhD
Director, Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, Professor, UAB School of Public Health

The Changing Landscape of Antimicrobial Resistance Following the COVID-19 Pandemic (February 8, 2023, 11am CST)

This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the largest health threats to healthcare systems and the COVID-19 pandemic has identified weaknesses that have allowed for transmission within hospitals. In this talk, Dr. Rachael Lee, assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and healthcare epidemiologist for the UAB Health System will provide a summary of the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in a pandemic era. This webinar is co-sponsored by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control, Region IV Public Health Training Center, and Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety.  

The Deep South Center for OH&S is an approved provider of continuing education units for nurses by the AL Board of Nursing (Provider ABNP0420 Expiration Date 12/22/2025) and has awarded this program 1.0 CEUs.

tRAINING eVALUATION

                                         

Using Behavioral Theory to Understand the Red/Blue Divide in COVID-19 Vaccination Intentions (January 23, 2023 1pm CST)

This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Political partisanship is an important predictor of COVID-19 vaccination status. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Republicans were less likely to report being vaccinated than Democrats. This webinar will discuss the results from research testing the hypothesis that partisan differences in intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine can be explained by a commonly used theory of behavioral health intentions, Protection Motivation Theory. This webinar is co-sponsored by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control and the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

Greg Pavela, PhD
Associate Professor @UAB School of Public Health
Tamika Smith, PhD
Assistant Professor @UAB School of Public Health
Victoria McDonald, MPH
Third-year doctoral student in Health Behavior @UAB School of Public Health


Webinar Evaluation

Public Perceptions and Preferences for Antibiotics: Considerations for Health Communication (December 14, 2022 12pm CST)

This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. In this webinar, Dr. Alistair Thorpe will discuss health communication efforts to reduce antibiotic overuse and scope for improving their impact through research on public perceptions and preferences about antibiotics. This webinar is co-sponsored by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control, the Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety, and the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

The Deep South Center for OH&S is an approved provider of continuing education units for nurses by the AL Board of Nursing (Provider ABNP0420 Expiration Date 12/22/2025) and has awarded this program 1.0 CEUs.

Watch the Recording

The ABC’s of Viral Hepatitis: Update for Public Health Professionals (October 18 @ 12pm CT)

Presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance (ARC IPC), this virtual webinar will provide a snapshot of viral hepatitis epidemiology and an overview of the 2021-2025 US National Strategic Plan/Roadmap for Elimination which is highly relevant to the public health community. We will include a discussion about current surveillance data that reveals trends, challenges and opportunities, prevention through vaccination and approaches to treatment. This webinar is co-sponsored by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance (ARC IPC), Region IV Public Health Training Center, and the Deep South Center for Occupational Health and Safety.

  1. Describe key approaches to stopping the spread of viral hepatitis, eliminate it as a public health threat, and save lives
  2. Discuss key strategies to increase vaccination and improve care and treatment of viral hepatitis
  3. Describe the social determinants of health that contribute to the viral hepatitis epidemic and unequal burden of viral hepatitis in the United States 

Speaker: Barbara DeBaun, MSN, RN, CIC, Improvement Advisor at Cynosure Health

EVALUATION

This webinar is co-sponsored by Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance, Region IV Public Health Training Center, and Deep South Center for OH&S .

The Mystery and Epidemiology of Long COVID (September, 29 @ 12pm CT)

Dr. Stella Aslibekyan, Senior Scientist, Genetic Epidemiology, 23andMe and Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Kentucky

This webinar is presented by the Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance. Two and a half years into the COVID-19 pandemic, there is emerging evidence that in some patients, its symptoms may linger for months or even years after the initial infection. While prevalence estimates vary widely, such ‘long COVID’ symptoms likely persist in more than 10% of all COVID-19 cases. This webinar, Dr. Stella Aslibekyan, Senior Scientist, Genetic Epidemiology, 23andMe and Adjunct Professor, Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Kentucky, will summarize the current scientific debate about long COVID– is it an autoimmune disease, a consequence of comorbidities, or something else? We will draw on a recent study of 100,000+ COVID-19 cases to understand who is susceptible to long COVID, how long the symptoms can last, and whether vaccination can improve long COVID outcomes.

This webinar is co-sponsored by Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance, Region IV Public Health Training Center, and Deep South Center for OH&S .

The Deep South Center for OH&S is an approved provider of continuing education units for nurses by the AL Board of Nursing (Provider ABNP0420 Expiration Date 12/22/2025) and has awarded this program 1.0 CEUs.

Watch on Youtube
Webinar Evaluation

Responding to the 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak (September 15 @ 12pm CT)

The Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance presents “Responding to the 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak.” In this webinar, Dr. Nicolas Van Wagoner, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, will provide a historical overview of monkeypox before 2022 and how the outbreak has reemerged globally, as well as in the United States. This webinar will outline the current state of monkeypox, and the public health response including testing, prevention, and vaccination, as well as provide guidance on communications to prevent misinformation and stigma.

This webinar is co-sponsored by Alabama Regional Center for Infection Prevention and Control Training and Technical Assistance, Region IV Public Health Training Center, and Deep South Center for OH&S .

The Deep South Center for OH&S is an approved provider of continuing education units for nurses by the AL Board of Nursing (Provider ABNP0420 Expiration Date 12/22/2025) and has awarded this program 1.0 contact hours.

Watch on Youtube

Evaluation link