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 Virginia’s healthcare, congregate care, and public health settings.
Turning Explosive Headlines into Practical Prevention
Cyclosporiasis has been making headlines lately. We can use that attention to spark interest in infection prevention. There is no current evidence that Virginia is experiencing an outbreak, but the recent “explosive” headlines are a good chance to remind healthcare staff about foundational infection prevention best practices.
What to Expect:
Virginia Monthly Morbidity Surveillance Report: See how cyclosporiasis and other reportable diseases compare with past years and seasonal trends in Virginia.
CDC Health Alert Network (HAN) – Health Advisory on Cyclosporiasis: The HAN shares updates about urgent public health events. Sign up for HAN alerts to stay up to date on the latest guidance and infection prevention recommendations.
Project Firstline’s How to Read a Disinfectant Label: Learn how to choose and use disinfectants the right way. Follow the label to make sure your cleaning and disinfection work, no matter which germ is making the headlines.
How to use it:
- Make local data meaningful. Share the Surveillance Report at your infection prevention committee meeting. Compare current disease activity with the usual baseline. Talk about what any changes could mean for your facility.
- Practice before it happens. Use CDC Health Alert Network (HAN) alerts as discussion starters. Ask, “What would we do if this happened here?” Review your plans for reporting, isolation, testing, and communication.
- Host a disinfectant scavenger hunt. Place several disinfectant products around the room. Challenge staff to use the Project Firstline “How to Read a Disinfectant Label” infographic to answer questions from each label. The first team to finish with the most correct answers wins.
Target Audience: Foundational & Intermediate IPC Education Level
FCHD’s Antibiotic Awareness Week: A Celebration of Health & Education
The Fairfax County Health Department’s Strengthening Antimicrobial Stewardship in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SASS) team put together an amazing educational program for U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW) in November 2023! Their team is using CDC funding to focus on improving antimicrobial stewardship in skilled nursing facilities. During USAAW, they rolled out a toolkit for skilled nursing facilities to use for their own facility education.
We spoke to Samantha Christensen, Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) HAI Epidemiologist to learn more about their Antibiotic Awareness Week toolkit. The FCHD started the week off with a big celebration, beginning with a kickoff breakfast, an antimicrobial stewardship podcast playlist with QR codes for easy access, and a microbe “joke of the day”. They also put up a tri-fold education poster with purple themed balloons and decorations, wore purple for Antimicrobial Awareness Week, had antimicrobial stewardship themed trivia with Starbucks gift cards for prizes, and held a watch party (with snacks, of course) for everyone to view educational infection prevention and control videos!
And because we know you want to hear the jokes…. “What’s the most popular antibiotic in Italy? Amoxsicilian!” Here’s another good one… “What’s the opposite of an antibiotic? An uncle-biotic!”
Congratulations to Samantha and the entire FCHD team for developing this fun and unique education program to ensure smart antibiotic use in skilled nursing facilities!
