The discovery of a new Escherichia coli strain resistant to colistin, has sparked a call for a boost in hand hygiene and environmental services efforts, according to an article on the Health Facilities Management website.
In April, a patient at a Pennsylvania clinic was found to have a new strain of E. coli with the gene MCR-1.
The discovery reinforces the importance of maintaining effective environmental cleaning and disinfection and hand-hygiene practices in hospitals and healthcare facilities, John Lynch, M.D., MPH, medical director of infection control, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, said in the article.
The challenge is that hospitals are complicated environments that make cleaning all surfaces difficult.
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