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Infectious particles can accumulate in occupied indoor environments and expose multiple individuals, even without direct physical contact. Airborne pathogens can spread through microscopic respiratory particles released when people breathe, speak, cough, or sneeze. Because many of these aerosols can remain suspended in the air for extended periods, they may expose people even without close or direct contact with an infected individual. This makes airborne transmission particularly difficult to control in enclosed indoor spaces, where infectious particles can accumulate and circulate through shared air. Several factors determine how easily airborne pathogens spread, including particle size, ventilation, humidity, exposure time, and the number [...]

Contamination control, Risk Management, and Quality Management when monitoring UV-C in HVAC Systems UV-C technology is becoming an increasingly important part of contamination control in pharmaceutical manufacturing and healthcare environments, particularly when incorporated into HVAC systems. These facilities depend heavily on controlled airflow, temperature, humidity, pressure, and filtration to protect products, patients, and critical processes from contamination. As UV-C is added as another layer of microbial control, it must be argued that it's performance should be monitored with the same level of attention given to other important HVAC parameters. UV-C systems installed within HVAC equipment can help reduce microorganisms both in [...]

Far-UVC, a technology initially developed as a way to combat COVID-19, is now being evaluated for its ability to prevent disease transmission among birds in poultry facilities. Researchers are evaluating whether Far-UVC light can help prevent highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) from spreading through commercial poultry barns. The project, supported by an HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge Award, will examine whether the technology can continuously reduce airborne virus levels and serve as an additional biosecurity measure. Columbia University researcher David Welch noted that far-UVC systems are already available, but scientists must determine how effective they are in agricultural environments and how [...]

Rapidly declining government preparedness gaps and public mistrust could turn a single biological incident into a worldwide crisis. Investigative journalist Annie Jacobsen discusses her book Biological Warfare: A Scenario, which examines how a severe biological incident, whether caused by an attack, accident, or laboratory leak, could rapidly destabilize society. Biological threats may be especially dangerous because pathogens can spread invisibly through people and across borders. Airborne pathogens receive particular attention because they can remain suspended indoors and spread through ordinary human breathing and movement. One of the biggest thing to note is that biotechnology inherently has "dual-use". The same genetic-engineering tools [...]

The CDC reported in its Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel update that whooping cough continues to spread throughout the United States this summer. Whooping cough, or pertussis, continued circulating across the United States during summer 2026, even though overall respiratory-illness activity was relatively low. Based on CDC surveillance through late May, approximately 4,724 cases and two child deaths had been reported. Although case numbers were substantially lower than during the unusually high levels recorded in 2025, the disease remained a public-health concern, particularly in California, Washington, Ohio, Florida, and Oregon. Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection that can affect people [...]