Edited by Sarah Tschudin-Sutter
We are proud to announce that Impact of the environment on healthcare-associated infections is open for submissions, specifically original works and reviews focusing on the role of the environment in promoting healthcare-associated infections and specific interventions targeting the hospital environment are welcome.
This thematic series, published in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control is intended to provide new insights into the current knowledge on the role of the environment in promoting and entertaining healthcare-associated infections as well as specific interventions targeting the hospital environment.
The role of the environment in entertaining transmission of pathogens in healthcare facilities and thus promoting healthcare-associated infections has been debated for decades.
More recently, a substantial body of research has been published confirming that persistence of microorganisms in different niches of the healthcare environment may serve as a relevant reservoir entertaining transmission and dissemination among patients. Novel insights into the role of the hospital environment have been fueled by the increasing availability of novel typing methodologies, such as whole genome sequencing and metagenomics, providing the resolution to track transmission events at the highest possible level. Concurrently, “no touch” technologies for environmental decontamination are becoming increasingly available, calling for an evidence base for recommendations regarding their implementation.
This special issue aims to disseminate current research providing further insights into the role of the environment in entertaining transmission of important healthcare-associated pathogens and ultimately, healthcare-associated infections, as well as current strategies targeting environmental niches in healthcare settings.
Published in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control.