Infection preventionists, once hailed as indispensable during the pandemic, now face a sobering reality: budget pressures, hiring freezes, and layoffs are reshaping the field, leaving many IPs worried about their future and questioning their value within health care organizations.
As seasonal viruses surge and recent outbreaks like measles highlight vulnerabilities, infection prevention experts are extending their reach into schools, recognizing that healthy classrooms are essential to healthy communities.
The best defense is still a good offense: vaccines, hygiene, and common-sense prevention can help individuals and communities stay healthy.
The unusually aggressive spike in viral activity in 2025 can be blamed on the immunity gap as well as a few new strains.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae cases have spiked, especially in kids under five years of age.
The most common viral infection on the planet, the common cold, is anything but simple.
hMPV is a lesser-known virus, but one that is rising quickly. It has been gaining traction, particularly in the 2024–2025 winter season, but there is currently no specific treatment or vaccine available.
Measles was eliminated in 2000, but recent vaccination gaps have caused a wide outbreak.
H5N1 bird flu jumps from animals to humans and should not be ignored, especially in the case of its 2025 comeback.
Although it’s not a respiratory virus, norovirus is definitely disruptive, and the number of cases doubled in the 2024–2025 season.
COVID-19 remains a serious player in the 2024–2025 viral lineup. Here ’s how it spread and what can be expected next.
RSV has a history of greatly affecting infants and older adults. Learn why the 2024–2025 season raised red flags in both of these groups.
Influenza A and B are back in a large number of cases. Learn more about why the 2024–2025 season is the worst in 15 years.
It’s respiratory virus season and COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and norovirus are out in full force. Here's how the “quademic” began.
Who knew candy, UV lights, and a college kid in scrubs could double hand hygiene adherence? A Pennsylvania hospital’s creative shake-up of its infection prevention program shows that sometimes it takes more than soap to get hands clean—and keep them that way.
A groundbreaking study presented at HSPA25 and APIC25 exposed hidden contamination lurking inside orthopedic and neurosurgical instruments—even after cleaning. The Lumens 2.0 research highlights why infection prevention must look deeper than surface-level protocols.
The Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) is calling on infection prevention professionals to help shape the future of the a-IPC exam through a vital new job analysis survey.
Patients rarely question sterilization protocols at the dentist, yet it is essential for safety. The Clean Bite explores why asking matters, what to look for, and how to start the conversation confidently.
Once dominated by nurses, infection prevention now welcomes professionals from public health, lab science, and respiratory therapy—each bringing unique expertise that strengthens patient safety and IPC programs.
Despite routine disinfection, hospital surfaces, such as stretchers, remain reservoirs for harmful microbes, according to several recent studies. From high-touch areas to damaged mattresses and the effectiveness of antimicrobial coatings, researchers continue to uncover persistent risks in environmental hygiene, highlighting the critical need for innovative, continuous disinfection strategies in health care settings.
This Hot Topics for IPC covers the latest on ASPR, AMR, vaccines, and a study on AMR and livestock manure from Michigan State University.
Dental infection control expert Sherrie Busby tackles PPE missteps, from chin-bra masks to cropped lab coats, reminding dental teams that proper protection is crucial, not optional.
Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
In its first major session under newly appointed leadership, the revamped Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to support flu and RSV vaccinations for the 2025–2026 season, but internal debate over vaccine preservatives, access equity, and risk assessment highlighted the ideological and scientific tensions now shaping federal vaccine policy.
As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.
This Hot Topics for IPC covers the latest on ACIP, vaccines, and a study on contact precautions for MRSA.
Hospitals may rely on handwashing as a frontline defense against infection, but the very sinks meant to promote hygiene can harbor dangerous pathogens. At this year’s AHE Exchange Summit, microbiologist Mark Wiencek, PhD, T-CHEST, explores how biofilms in sink drains create a persistent threat to patient safety —and what infection prevention and EVS teams can do about it.
Dr Rebecca Crapanzano-Sigafoos explains how at this year’s APIC Annual Conference & Expo in Phoenix, leaders unveiled key initiatives poised to shape the future of infection prevention, including a new research network, an updated MegaSurvey, and a comprehensive guide to catheter-associated bloodstream infection prevention.
Despite its critical role in patient safety, infection prevention and control (IPC) remains one of health care’s most misunderstood and understructured professions. While COVID-19 thrust IPC into the spotlight, the field still lacks a clear entry path, standardized training, and broad institutional recognition, leaving many professionals to learn on the job with minimal guidance.
