VIPTA is a statewide infection prevention and control education collaborative, led by the Virginia Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Group. Through partnership, VIPTA curates IPC resources for Virginiaâs healthcare, congregate care, and public health settings.
đPurple Power: Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance Together
Get ready to go purple! Antimicrobial Awareness Week is November 18â24, 2025, and this yearâs theme is âFighting Antimicrobial Resistance Takes All of Us.â Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) isnât just a healthcare issue; itâs a One Health challenge that affects people, pets, and our planet. Every reminder, game, or hallway conversation helps keep antibiotics and antifungals working for everyone.
What to Expect:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention â U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW) Find ready-to-use social media posts, fact sheets, and talking points to kickstart awareness activities across your organization.
- World Health Organization â World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) Grab shareable graphics, infographics, and messages to spotlight the global effort against antimicrobial resistance.
- CDC â What Is One Health? See how the health of people, animals, and the environment are all linked and why your daily actions matter beyond the bedside.
How to Use It:
- Go purple! Ask teams to wear purple or decorate breakrooms to spark conversation.
- Host a mini-moment. Share a quick AMR fact in your next huddle or meeting.
- Make it a game. Use ideas from this monthâs Cheers for Peers feature, where Whitney Rice created a microbe-matching challenge about bacterial vs. viral infections.
- Spread the message. Share graphics or stories from the WHO or CDC campaigns on your intranet or social media.
- Recognize Purple Champions. Celebrate strong antimicrobial stewardship by giving a Cheers for Peers certificate.
Target Audience: Foundational IPC Education Level
APIC Virginia Conference
On October 5th and 6th, infection preventionists and public health partners from around the state came together in Richmond, VA for two days of education, networking, and learning about new products from industry partners.
The Virginia chapter of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC Virginia) had their highest attendance ever, with over 100 attendees for the conference on Friday, and approximately 60 pre-conference attendees on Thursday!
Preconference attendees learned the ins and outs of basic microbiology, how specimen collection can impact culture results, how to read susceptibility results and antibiograms, and how they can contribute to antimicrobial stewardship programs by focusing on enhancing their partnership with the laboratory.
Conference attendees brushed up on water management, dialysis, construction, nasal decolonization as a means to prevent infection, and heard about interesting Group A Strep and scabies outbreaks. A social event on Thursday provided great food and drink, and opportunities to network and socialize.
APIC Virginia looks forward to seeing you at next yearâs educational conference!Â
