Cockroaches could contaminate hospital surfaces

According to the CDC, healthcare associated infections (HAIs) occur in 1 out of every 25 hospitalized people and cost the healthcare system up to an additional $45 billion a year.  People undergoing treatment become exposed to pathogens in a variety of ways, but ensuring the healthcare environment is disinfected helps decrease the risk of HAIs. A recent study found that researchers were able to recover MRSA from cockroaches collected from hospitals in Iran suggesting that these mobile insects could be a source of environmental contamination in healthcare settings.  Understanding all of the ways surfaces become contaminated helps infection preventionists create strategies to protect patients.

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