Virginia Infection Prevention & Control Training Alliance (VIPTA)

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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.

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Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance Takes All of Us (Sourced from CDC AAW 2025 Toolkit)

Antibiotic Mythbusters! Can You Set the Record Straight?

Some antibiotic myths are easy to spot. Others contain just enough truth to be convincing. With the right facts and a little curiosity, you can help others make informed decisions about antibiotic use.

Spot the Myth! ‘Every positive urine culture needs to be treated with antibiotics.’

  • Bust the Myth! Diagnosis of a UTI requires both finding bacteria in a urine test and the presence of specific symptoms. Having both is important, because bacteria can live naturally in the bladder without causing any pain or symptoms.
  • Find the Facts:

Spot the Myth! “I don’t prescribe antibiotics, so antibiotic resistance isn’t my problem.”

  • Bust the Myth! Drug-resistant germs don’t stay in one place! They can spread between patients, residents, staff, and healthcare settings. Everyone can help stop their spread. Hand hygiene, cleaning, disinfection, and proper personal protective equipment (PPE) use all play a part.
  • Find the Facts:

How to Bust Myths in Your Workplace

  • Start a myth-busting huddle. Share a myth and ask staff, “What would you say?” Practice friendly responses and use trusted resources to explore the facts together.
  • Make the facts easy to find. Share the patient handout in waiting areas or add the CDC infographic to staff newsletters and breakroom boards.

Target Audience: Essential & Foundational IPC Education Level

Guidance, Recommendations, & Regulatory Updates

VIPTA members track guidance and regulation resources to share source documents that guide infection prevention and control practices for public health staff and clinical and non-clinical healthcare personnel.

The date of the regulation or guidance update is included in each post.  Please check linked content to be sure it is the most up to date and recommended practice.

CDC: Viral Respiratory Pathogens Toolkit for Nursing Homes (09/24/2026)
CDC
Nursing Home / Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)
CDC updated its Viral Respiratory Pathogens Toolkit for Nursing Homes to help facilities strengthen prevention and response to COVID-19, influenza, and RSV through vaccination, testing, early treatment, surveillance, source control, appropriate precautions, and rapid outbreak response. 
CDC: Infection Prevention and Control Strategies for Seasonal Influenza in Healthcare Settings (09/29/2026)
CDC
Any Practice Setting
The CDC recommends that healthcare facilities review the revised seasonal influenza infection prevention and control guidance, which highlights vaccination, early identification and triage, respiratory hygiene, Droplet Precautions, healthcare personnel illness management, and timely outbreak response.   
CDC: Candida auris for Healthcare Providers (10/1/2026)
CDC
Any Practice Setting
The CDC updated its Candida auris screening, infection control guidance, and prevention and response recommendations for healthcare providers, emphasizing targeted screening, early detection and reporting, appropriate precautions, environmental and equipment disinfection, staff education, communication of C. auris status during healthcare transfers, and coordinated public health responses to prevent healthcare-associated transmission. 

Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)

SHEA

Infection Prevention and Control of Candida auris in Pediatric Settings (6/23/2026) The guidance recommends identifying at-risk pediatric patients through targeted screening, using appropriate isolation and room-placement precautions, and coordinating closely with infection prevention and public health partners when Candida auris is suspected or confirmed. It also emphasizes prevention through meticulous hand hygiene, effective environmental cleaning and disinfection, and careful...

What’s In Your Water?

Hayley Andrews, an infection preventionist in the southwest region of Virginia, used her curious mind and a desire to educate others to help uncover environmental contamination that caused an illness in one of her patients.

Hayley’s facility admitted a patient with sepsis, and blood cultures grew Aeromonas hydrophila.  Because Hayley had never heard of this organism, she researched it and learned that it is typically a waterborne organism.  Hayley took this information to the nursing unit where the patient was located and the patient’s son heard her educating the nurses about Aeromonas.  He joined in and mentioned that his mom had a well and he was concerned that it may be contaminated.

The health department visited the home and tested the water. Sure enough, it was contaminated with Aeromonas and other organisms, and failed potability testing. The health department was able to get the patient an alternate, safe water source upon her discharge to prevent further infection until her well water could be remediated. 

Thank you, Hayley! Your diligence prevented this patient from getting sick again, and perhaps prevented other neighbors from a similar outcome! 

IPC Education & Training Library

Search the VIPTA library of curated infection prevention and control (IPC) education and training resources. The IPC Education & Training Resource Library includes state and national resources related to healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance and/or IPC. Visit the VIPTA FAQ page to learn more about VIPTA library content.

 

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