Gone Swimming!

Yesterday, my company celebrated our 20^th anniversary.  I’ve been with Virox® for 15 of their 20 years and a have enjoyed watching how the markets we serve have grown in their needs and sophistication with respect to cleaning and disinfection.   As part of the celebration, we were given today off!

While I'm playing hooky from writing an educational blog, I wanted to take the opportunity to wish all of my Canadian friends a happy Canada Day and all of my American friends a happy Independence Day!

Bugging Off!

Nicole

PS - For those that know me, I have a penchant for playing with my hair color.  It’s fun, but in the summer it means I have to be really careful around pools.  This summer, I have found the perfect solution, my new retro-70’s swimming cap!  You can be sure it will be put to good use this weekend!

Don’t smooch with your pooch!

Are you a dog lover? Do you cuddle, sleep, kiss or let your pooch lick you?  I like dogs, but growing up on farm my definition of having a dog is opening the door to let him or her run out to do their business, roam around the farm for a bit and then open the door to let them back in when they barked. Living in a city with a busy schedule and a fair bit of travel means I’ve chosen cats over dogs. I can love them. I can feed them and I can leave them. Growing up on farm with dogs and a mom who was a nurse also meant that our dogs (and my brother and I) were taught not to lick. Dog kisses were not something that occurred in our house. Truth be told, Kahlua, the black lab we had for 16 years like to find carcasses of dead animals to roll in and chomp on and of course liked to play in the barn with the cows. You never knew what had been in her mouth before coming to say “Hi” and if you got close enough to her mouth you often found yourself gagging from what she had just gotten into…

But why the dog talk? Because I came across a study published in the journal of mBio that found that some dogs in China are carrying a potpourri of influenza viruses including swine, avian and canine flu viruses. Since we like to have “close” relationships with our canine babies, there is a potential that someday these viruses may jump to humans.

The researchers swabbed 800 ill dogs between 2013 and 2015 and found that 15% of the dogs had the flu. Shockingly, after the viruses were sequenced they found that 16 different strains of the flu were being carried by these dogs and some of them were in fact Swine influenza strains that had been detected in people in Europe and Asia. While there is no indication (at least at this point) that the flu can jump from your pooch to you, it doesn’t mean it’s out of the question. In fact, our close contact may have allowed for us to build immunity against dog flu, but that is yet to be seen.

What does this mean to us? Well, as I’ve mentioned in several past Talk Clean To Me blogs, don’t get your knickers in a knot over the particular strain of influenza. I’m not insinuating we need to down play influenza and the risk of transmission by any means. What I am saying is let’s be smart about influenza.  This study shows dogs can carry pig flu, swine flu or bird flu. There are additional studies to show that some of the earlier canine flu outbreaks may have originated from Equine or horse flu. Influenza has been identified in all sorts of animals and of course people. 

The good news is that regardless of the number of influenza A strains we come up against, based on available scientific information, and the fact there are over 500 EPA registered disinfectants with claims against various strains of Influenza A on the market if a new strain pops up we will be covered! The EPA’s emerging pathogens protocol proves that!

Bugging Off!

Nicole

Does the “Ick” factor reduce infection transmission?

I’m pretty sure at some point we’ve all cringed, wrinkled our noses or had the involuntary “EWE!” slip out at some point in our lives when we’ve seen something gross.  Of course depending on what it is depends on your next reaction which may range from complete revulsion to fascination.  When it comes to blood, guts and gore (or pus) I tend to weigh in on the fascination side.  I’ve always been the person to look closer at what is grossing others out, even if we’re dealing with a dead animal on the side of the road.  Bugs, insects and most rodents are another story. 

A recently published study in Philosophical Transactions (The Royal Society) by Val Curtis and Mícheál de Barra sought to determine if in fact disgust evolved to protect us from disease and if we can still rely on our instinctual reaction of disgust to help us from getting sick. Curtis and de Bara recruited 2,500 participants of which two-thirds were women with an average age of 28. The study participants read brief descriptions of 75 potentially revolting scenarios they might encounter in a day rating them from “No Disgust” to “Extreme Disgust”.  Curtis and de Barra were then able to develop and sort the responses into six common categories of disgust "cues" such as poor hygiene; animals/insects that bring disease; promiscuous sex; body deformities or behavioral irregularity (e.g. coughing or homelessness); lesions, blisters, boils or pus; and spoiled food.

While the results of the study may not have correlated to disease per say, they did seem to reflect the types of things and people that should be avoiding in order to not catch something infectious.  The participants knew to avoid objects, skin lesions, spoilt food, individuals with poor hygiene and promiscuous sexual practices.  While a feeling of disgust does not allow us to “see” pathogens, the study does provide further evidence that when we feel disgust it in does indeed correlate with staying away from something potentially infectious.

Which leads me to my fascination with lesions, blisters, boils, pus, blood, guts and gore…..  Inwardly I may say “ewe”, but man do I like a good close up and investigation of what everyone else may think as being gross!  

What way do you lean?

Bugging Off!

Nicole

Infection Control for Basic Beauty

The joy of my job is that with the exception of booked travel, I never know what market I may be supporting in terms of cleaning and disinfection. This week I attended the Premier Orlando International Beauty event. It was 2 days of jaw dropping beauty, personal style and in some cases questionable infection control. If you were looking for a new hair style or colour, nail art, skin care tips there was no way you could not come home with ideas! The key is whether you’re brave enough to follow through on some of the ideas you came home with!

In the Professional Beauty market what amazes me the most is the difference between states in terms of the level of cleaning and disinfection required for tools and implements.  In the healthcare world (hospitals, dental, etc.), the guidelines are standard across the nation and everyone is generally doing the same thing. The same cannot be said in spas, salons or nail shops. If you’re an infection control nut like me you may want to take some time to investigate what the State Cosmetology Boards require for cleaning and disinfection requirements are before your next mani-pedi.  As I’ve come to learn, for most states the use of an EPA registered disinfectant is sufficient for tools. My question is what type of EPA registered disinfectant?  A low level disinfectant that can kill bacteria, may or may not be able to kill hardier non-enveloped viruses and may or may not kill relevant bacterial pathogens?  Should an intermediate level disinfectant be used that can kill TB? Are the facilities allowed to use the solution as a soak for 1 day, multiple days or do they have to change after each disinfection cycle?  How do they test to ensure that the product is at the appropriate concentration?

My personal preference is the use of a High Level Disinfectant. These are FDA registered disinfectants that undergo stringent testing and validation to be able to disinfect medical devices via soaking applications. The testing requires a soil challenge, proven ability to kill a higher number of organisms and the products are generally designed and tested in such a way to allow for a re-use claim (meaning once put into a soaking try you can use for multiple days in a row) and must have a method to test and verify that they remain within the appropriate concentrations to ensure disinfection has occurred.

But that’s not really the reason for this week’s blog. My reason was what I saw in terms of lack of infection prevention measures. This show provided a means to see all of the new products for sale and often provided the ability to watch demonstrations or try the products. I saw emery boards that are supposed to be single use being used on multiple people. I saw dremel type sanding bits being used on multiple people with perhaps a wipe of a tissue sprayed with alcohol.  I saw microblading and permanent make-up tattooing being demonstrated – sure they had gowns on, but I’m not certain how the multiple use devices were being disinfected. I saw people trialing teeth whitening systems. It was all fascinating, but by golly I kept my hands to myself and tried NOTHING!

Similar to my Pools Poised for Plagues blog that highlighted the number of outbreaks associated with public swimming pools and the highest rates being in the summer, I suppose it’s time to remind ourselves that summer too is a time when many of us want our feet, toes and nails to look pretty.  After this week it’s a reminder to myself to ask how mani-pedi tools and implements are disinfected if trying a new place.  ruth be told, I think if I can’t get into my preferred facility and aesthetician then I may just settle for doing it myself and hope that I can paint within the lines!

Bugging Off!

Nicole

Beautiful Banff Brings Education, Enlightenment and Elation!

It’s been a long week, but long in a good way!  The IPAC Canada National Conference was this week in Banff, Alberta. The theme of the conference was “Climbing Mountains: Pathways to Discovery”. I must say the speakers did an amazing job pulling in our theme and weaving stories that were inspirational, educational and left everyone with pearls of wisdom to both take back to work and leverage in our personal lives.

I hosted a full day pre-conference symposium on Cleaning and Disinfection.  I must say, I think this was my favorite of the 5 such symposiums I have hosted.  The day was interspersed with both lectures and interactive activities that made people think beyond the obvious. We were stretched to think of the unobvious issues that can result in our facilities whenever cleaning and disinfecting products are used. The topics for the day weaved and intertwined with speakers building on and validating each other’s presentations. The day taught us to how to read and truly gather information from a product label, learn how to investigate and determine compatibility of a disinfectant with surfaces and devices found in our facilities and how to uncover where errors or issues in cleaning and disinfection have occurred. We also covered Room Decontamination Devices and their use in infection control programs, where and what types of biofilms may be lurking and closed off with a discussion on chemical resistance and what concerns there may be with our ever increasing use and reliance on cleaning and disinfecting chemicals.

Sharron Wood, the first North American female to summit Everest by the west ridge and north face gave the opening key note talk. While one would not think of mountain climbing and infection prevention as having anything in common, I can say we are wrong. One cannot just decide to climb Mount Everest and head out the next day. Planning is actually the largest part of ensuring success.  Execution, the actual climbing can be successful if the planning has been done correctly.  During the climb you need mental strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other and to make the right decisions. To have a successful infection prevention program, we too require a focus on planning and when we’re in the throes of an outbreak where things are ever changing so to do we need the mental fortitude to keep putting one foot in front of the other and the ability to make the right decisions.

The conference closed with Patch Adams – yes, the REAL Patch Adams! I’m sure many of us have seen the movie starring Robin Williams. What an experience to be in a room with him. Patch Adams held us in complete rapture expounding his beliefs that laughter, joy and creativity are an integral part of the healing process. He showed that laughter really can be the best medicine with examples and videos of the work he does around the world clowning.  Some of my “ah-ha” moments were the fact that WE can choose to have a happy day and that our choosing to be happy has an incredible effect on those around us. As leaders, colleagues, friends and family, WE can make an environment where a person can see the best in themselves and that can be very powerful in helping to deal with whatever struggles they may be having or empowering them to think differently when faced with a challenge. Lastly, Patch Adams pointed out that in every job, there is something that is boring. Rather than lament in the dullness of the task, ask yourself what you can do to make it fun?

Those that know me know, that I like to have fun. In my current role there are times I feel that perhaps I’m too gregarious. Certainly, there are times where laughter, joking and clowning around are not appropriate, but I’m going to take to heart that I can choose to be happy and always look for the positive. I can choose to make others laugh and help them to be happy and in doing so I may be able to make the world a better place.

Bugging Off!

Nicole