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Covid-19 exposes the gaps in infection prevention and control (2020)
Journal Article
Dancer, S. J. (2020). Covid-19 exposes the gaps in infection prevention and control. Infection, Disease & Health, 25(4), 223-226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idh.2020.08.005

• Covid-19 has highlighted how little we really know about controlling infection.
• The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has ignited a tsunami of interest in basic hygiene.
• Despite a shaky evidence base, hygienic activities have propelled infection control on... Read More about Covid-19 exposes the gaps in infection prevention and control.

Influence of ventilation use and occupant behaviour on surface microorganisms in contemporary social housing (2020)
Journal Article
Sharpe, T., McGill, G., Dancer, S. J., King, M.-F., Fletcher, L., & Noakes, C. J. (2020). Influence of ventilation use and occupant behaviour on surface microorganisms in contemporary social housing. Scientific Reports, 10(1), Article 11841 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68809-2

In the context of increasingly airtight homes, there is currently little known about the type and diversity of microorganisms in the home, or factors that could affect their abundance, diversity and nature. In this study, we examined the type and pre... Read More about Influence of ventilation use and occupant behaviour on surface microorganisms in contemporary social housing.

COVID-19 and use of non-traditional masks: how do various materials compare in reducing the risk of infection for mask wearers? (2020)
Journal Article
Wilson, A., Abney, S., King, M.-F., Weir, M., López-García, M., Sexton, J., Dancer, S., Proctor, J., Noakes, C., & Reynolds, K. (2020). COVID-19 and use of non-traditional masks: how do various materials compare in reducing the risk of infection for mask wearers?. Journal of Hospital Infection, 105(4), 640-642. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.05.036

Abstract not available.

Evaluation of World Health Organization–Recommended Hand Hygiene Formulations (2020)
Journal Article
Suchomel, M., Eggers, M., Maier, S., Kramer, A., Dancer, S. J., & Pittet, D. (2020). Evaluation of World Health Organization–Recommended Hand Hygiene Formulations. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26(9), 2064-2068. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2609.201761

As a result of the coronavirus disease pandemic, commercial hand hygiene products have become scarce and World Health Organization (WHO) alcohol-based hand rub formulations containing ethanol or isopropanol are being produced for hospitals worldwide.... Read More about Evaluation of World Health Organization–Recommended Hand Hygiene Formulations.

How can airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors be minimised? (2020)
Journal Article
Morawska, L., Tang, J. W., Bahnfleth, W., Bluyssen, P. M., Boerstra, A., Buonanno, G., Cao, J., Dancer, S., Floto, A., Franchimon, F., Haworth, C., Hogeling, J., Isaxon, C., Jimenez, J. L., Kurnitski, J., Li, Y., Loomans, M., Marks, G., Marr, L. C., Mazzarella, L., …Yao, M. (2020). How can airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors be minimised?. Environment International, 142, Article 105832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105832

During the rapid rise in COVID-19 illnesses and deaths globally, and notwithstanding recommended precautions, questions are voiced about routes of transmission for this pandemic disease. Inhaling small airborne droplets is probable as a third route o... Read More about How can airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors be minimised?.

Bacterial Transfer To Fingertips During Sequential Surface Contacts With And Without Gloves (2020)
Journal Article
King, M., López‐García, M., Atedoghu, K. P., Zhang, N., Wilson, A. M., Weterings, M., Hiwar, W., Dancer, S. J., Noakes, C. J., & Fletcher, L. A. (2020). Bacterial Transfer To Fingertips During Sequential Surface Contacts With And Without Gloves. Indoor Air, 30(5), 993-1004. https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12682

Bacterial transmission from contaminated surfaces via hand contact plays a critical role in disease spread. However, the fomite‐to‐finger transfer efficiency of microorganisms during multiple sequential surface contacts with and without gloves has no... Read More about Bacterial Transfer To Fingertips During Sequential Surface Contacts With And Without Gloves.

Dynamic Transmission of Staphylococcus Aureus in the Intensive Care Unit (2020)
Journal Article
Adams, C. E., & Dancer, S. J. (2020). Dynamic Transmission of Staphylococcus Aureus in the Intensive Care Unit. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(6), Article 2109. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17062109

Staphylococcus aureus is an important bacterial pathogen. This study utilized known staphylococcal epidemiology to track S. aureus between patients, surfaces, staff hands and air in a ten-bed intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: Patients, air and surf... Read More about Dynamic Transmission of Staphylococcus Aureus in the Intensive Care Unit.

Measuring environmental contamination in critical care using dilute hydrogen peroxide (DHP) technology: An observational cross-over study (2020)
Journal Article
Oon, A., Reading, E., Ferguson, J., Dancer, S., & Mitchell, B. (2020). Measuring environmental contamination in critical care using dilute hydrogen peroxide (DHP) technology: An observational cross-over study. Infection, Disease & Health, 25(2), 107-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idh.2019.12.005

Background
The environment has an important role in the transmission of healthcare associated infections. This has encouraged interest in novel methods to improve hygiene in hospitals. One such technology is the use of hydrogen peroxide to decontami... Read More about Measuring environmental contamination in critical care using dilute hydrogen peroxide (DHP) technology: An observational cross-over study.

Do pneumatic tube transport systems transmit potential pathogens? A hygienic risk assessment in a university hospital (2019)
Journal Article
Khaznadar, L., Dancer, S., Petersmann, A., Seifert, U., Below, H., Papke, R., Suchomel, M., Kohlmann, T., & Kramer, A. (2020). Do pneumatic tube transport systems transmit potential pathogens? A hygienic risk assessment in a university hospital. Journal of Hospital Infection, 104(3), 374-380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2019.11.009

Background
Prompted by an outbreak of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in a medical facility, this study examined a pneumatic tube transport system (PTS) as a potential transmission channel.

Method
Samples from the receiving station and en... Read More about Do pneumatic tube transport systems transmit potential pathogens? A hygienic risk assessment in a university hospital.

Hand antisepsis without decreasing efficacy by shortening the rub-in time of alcohol-based handrubs to 15 seconds (2019)
Journal Article
Harnoss, J., Dancer, S., Kaden, C., Baguhl, R., Kohlmann, T., Papke, R., Zygmunt, M., Assadian, O., Suchomel, M., Pittet, D., & Kramer, A. (2020). Hand antisepsis without decreasing efficacy by shortening the rub-in time of alcohol-based handrubs to 15 seconds. Journal of Hospital Infection, 104(4), 419-424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2019.09.004

Background
A previous study among neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses showed that the antibacterial efficacy of alcohol-based handrubs (ABHR) can be achieved in 15 s instead of 30 s with a significant increase in the frequency of hand antisep... Read More about Hand antisepsis without decreasing efficacy by shortening the rub-in time of alcohol-based handrubs to 15 seconds.

Emergence of an Australian-like pstS-null vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium clone in Scotland (2019)
Journal Article
Lemonidis, K., Salih, T. S., Dancer, S. J., Hunter, I. S., & Tucker, N. P. (2019). Emergence of an Australian-like pstS-null vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium clone in Scotland. PLOS ONE, 14(6), Article e0218185. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218185

Multi-locus sequencing typing (MLST) is widely used to monitor the phylogeny of microbial outbreaks. However, several strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) with a missing MLST locus (pstS) have recently emerged in Australia, wi... Read More about Emergence of an Australian-like pstS-null vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium clone in Scotland.

Tracking Staphylococcus aureus in the intensive care unit using Whole-Genome Sequencing (2019)
Journal Article
Dancer, S. J., Adams, C. E., Smith, J., Pichon, B., Kearns, A., & Morrison, D. (2019). Tracking Staphylococcus aureus in the intensive care unit using Whole-Genome Sequencing. Journal of Hospital Infection, 103(1), 13-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2019.04.016

Background: Staphylococcus aureus remains an important bacterial pathogen worldwide. This study utilized known staphylococcal epidemiology to track S. aureus between different ecological reservoirs in one ten-bed intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods... Read More about Tracking Staphylococcus aureus in the intensive care unit using Whole-Genome Sequencing.

Four Steps to Clean Hospitals: Look; Plan; Clean; and Dry (2018)
Journal Article
Dancer, S. J., & Kramer, A. (2019). Four Steps to Clean Hospitals: Look; Plan; Clean; and Dry. Journal of Hospital Infection, 103(1), e1-e8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2018.12.015

Background
Now that cleaning and decontamination are recognised as integral to infection control, it is timely to examine the process in more detail. This is because cleaning practices vary widely within healthcare districts and it is likely that bo... Read More about Four Steps to Clean Hospitals: Look; Plan; Clean; and Dry.