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BA.3.2 has been detected in 25 states and has shown 'immune escape characteristics'   A new variant of COVID-19 is spreading across the U.S., health officials say. At least 23 countries have reported the SARS-CoV-2 BA.3.2 variant as of Feb. 11, according to a study published last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 BA.3.2 variant, found in 23 countries so far and in wastewater analysis in 23 states, is still very uncommon in terms of prevalence, but is concerning because it has over 70 mutations and deletions to its spike protein compared with the [...]

Through the use of specialized cameras and lasers, researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder have uncovered exactly how aerosols are affected by the flushing of a lidless toilet. Professor John Crimaldi and his team have shared their concerns regarding the actual exposure people have to pathogens when using the toilet. He urges that people should be more mindful when flushing the toilet and to close the lid at all times. Watch the CNN video here.

SAG suspends poultry product exports: Confirmed a positive case of avian influenza at an industrial facility The Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) reported this Wednesday the detection of the first positive case of avian influenza in laying hens at an industrial farm in the commune of El Monte, in the Metropolitan Region. In response to this situation, health protocols were activated with the aim of containing and eradicating the disease in the shortest possible time, and in accordance with international regulations, Chile self-suspended the certification of exports of all types of poultry products. Read more about the article here.

We discovered its cause 144 years ago. It’s still a massive problem. TB is presented not as a new threat, but as a resurgent one. Despite our efforts, tuberculosis never truly disappeared; instead, after decades of decline, it is now rising again in the US and other first world countries. In the US, rates had been falling for about 30 years, but recent cases in San Francisco, Long Island, Seattle, and a major Kansas outbreak show that TB is reappearing in places many people would not expect. A major reason for this “return” is that TB often comes back through latent [...]

A new variant of Influenza A(H3N2) (subclade K), locally dubbed the "superflu," has begun circulating aggressively across the country, characterized by significantly higher airborne transmissibility. Aerosol Transmission: Experts warn the virus remains suspended in the air for extended periods in indoor settings. System Pressure: The Ministry of Health has moved up the vaccination campaign due to an explosive increase in respiratory consultations, aiming to prevent a total collapse of emergency rooms before winter. Insufficient Ventilation: It is noted that with dropping temperatures, natural ventilation will not suffice to mitigate the viral load indoors Learn more about this here (originally in Spanish).

"Infections caused by a highly drug-resistant and dangerous bacteria known as NDM-producing carpabenem-resistant Enterobacterales, or NDM-CRE, have surged by more than 460% in the U.S. between 2019 and 2023, according to a CDC report."

UMD Public Health Aeorbiology Lab’s source of reliable information on Germicidal Ultraviolet for clean air. Bookmark this website for all things GUV.

The most pressing issue schools face today: the air inside classrooms. There's hope. It IS achievable. It IS affordable. Pathogens need to be inactivated (Far UV), filtered (air purifiers), and ventilated (open windows and HVAC improvements). Read this paradigm-shifting piece by Adam Van Bavel to find out how and why it must be done this school year.

Infection Control Today® (ICT®) conversation with Ewan Eadie, PhD, MSci, CSci, MIPEM, the head of Scientific Services in the Photobiology Unit at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in Dundee, Scotland and Paul A. Locke, JD, MPH, DrPH, professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health