News & Views

A recent flu outbreak at a border intake facility in Texas caused one death and other hospitalizations, further conveying the danger the sickness poses to people forced to inhabit heavily populated quarters. U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the McAllen Central Processing Center was forced to halt its intake of migrants May 21 after discovering…

Providing a quality education is the primary objective of any school. Tutelage in the classroom is the backbone of this education, but lessons learned outside of the curriculum are important, too. The development of a sense of community and compassion for society as a whole is a fine example of the type of valuable lessons…

A germ-zapping robot called LightStrike from Xenex is used at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) hospitals to help curb the spread of infectious diseases. This mobile robotic device is used in intensive care units, medical surgery units, operating rooms and in rooms where patients suffering from Clostridioides difficile (also known as C.diff), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus…

Commercial cleaning is one of the fastest growing franchise opportunities. Five commercial cleaning franchises ranked in the top 50 of Entrepreneur magazine’s Fastest-Growing Franchises list. Two companies, Jan-Pro Franchising Int’l. Inc. and Stratus Building Solutions, finished in the top 10 franchises. “We are thrilled to be named as one of the fastest-growing franchises,” says Afshin…

Drug resistant superbugs have been making some scary headlines lately. Antibiotics aren’t working, but the good news is, washing your hands correctly still does. According to an article on Gizmodo, handwashing alone isn’t going to stop superbugs. But, there’s proof that proper handwashing can lower the risk of Candida auris spreading during an outbreak. According…

This week sees the second of 2, apparently conflicting publications, one saying that having domestic pets is good because it reduces the risks of allergy – the other warning that they pose an infection risk. The studies show how important it is to keep new research findings in perspective. Having pets in our home may…

Facility managers and staff working in commercial kitchens, schools, and other facilities in the state of Maine that provide food services have until January 1, 2021 to find replacements for polystyrene food and beverage containers. Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed a new law that prohibits the sale or distribution of disposable containers made of polystyrene,…

In a presentation given at the Microbiology Society conference, Sally Bloomfield set out what needs to be done to achieve hygiene behaviour change whilst also addressing need for exposure to essential microbes. The ‘hygiene hypothesis’ first cited in 1989 proposed that lack of exposure to childhood infections due to smaller family sizes, improved household amenities…