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Copyright of GMS Hygiene & Infection Control is the property of German Medical Science Publishing House gGmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Germany, recommendations on infection prevention and control of current virus outbreaks are given as communications by the Association for Applied Hygiene e.V. (VAH) together with the joint Disinfectant Commission of the German Association for the Control of Virus Diseases e.V. (DVV) and the Society of Virology* (GfV). The DVV was founded in 1954 in response to the ongoing threat to the population from polio and was given its current name in 1977. The DVV is supported by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Ministries of Health of the Federal States, scientific societies, as well as social foundations and organisations. Private individuals cannot be members of the DVV. The Society of Virology e.V. (GfV) is a scientific society for all virological fields in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and is thus the largest virological society in Europe. With numerous commissions, guidelines and statements, it is the authoritative contact for research, healthcare and politics. The joint commission "Virus Disinfection" of these scientific societies focuses on the efficacy of chemical disinfection procedures against viruses. The VAH bundles the expertise of scientific societies and experts on infection prevention and is particularly committed to the quality assurance of hygiene measures. With the VAH disinfectant list, the association provides the standard reference for the selection of high-quality disinfection procedures. This disinfectant list has a tradition of more than 60 years in Germany. The original German version of this document was published in August 2022 and has now been made available to the international professional public in English. The document contains recommendations on hygiene and disinfection measures for monkeypox virus infections. Disinfectants against monkeypox must have at least proven efficacy against enveloped viruses (active against enveloped viruses); products with the efficacy ranges "limited virucidal activity" and "virucidal" can also be used. The disinfectant list of the VAH or the disinfectant list of the Robert Koch Institute are available for the selection of products. Especially in the case of contamination with crust or scab material, it should be noted that protein contamination can have a protective or stabilising effect on monkeypox. Therefore, cleaning – before disinfection – should always be carried out in this situation. Preventive measures such as vaccination and hygiene in the vicinity of people with monkeypox must be taken to prevent transmission to small children, pregnant women or people with a pronounced immune deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GMS Hygiene & Infection Control is the property of German Medical Science Publishing House gGmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the opinion of the medical societies of hygiene and pediatrics undersigning the present statement, the analyses published to date regarding transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the course of CoVid-19 show that children play a much less significant role in the spread of the virus than do adults. According to the findings available to date, not only do children and adolescents less frequently fall ill with CoVid-19, they also generally become less severely ill than do adults. The vast majority of infections in children and adolescents are asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic. Even the first analyses from China demonstrated that children and ad- olescents play a subordinate role in the transmission of the virus – not only to other children and adolescents, but also to adults. Taking into account regional infection rates and available resources, daycare centers, kindergartens and elementary schools promptly should be reopened. For children, this should be possible without excessive restrictions, such as clustering into very small groups, implementation of barrier precautions, maintaining appropriate distance from others or wearing masks. A factor more decisive than individual group size is the issue of sustaining the constancy of respective group members and the avoidance of intermixing. Children can be taught basic rules of hygiene such as handwashing and careful hygiene behavior when coming into contact with others during mealtimes and/or when using sanitary facilities. Independent of the prevention measures implemented for children and adolescents, the protection of teachers, educators and caregivers is crucial, (e.g., the maintenance of appropriate distance from others, use of medical masks, situation-dependent hand disinfection, when necessary, supported by regular pool testing). Children over the age of 10 and adolescents up to school graduation age are more capable of actively understanding and conforming to specific hygiene rules. For this group, maintaining appropriate distance from others (1.5 meters), wearing a mouth-and-nose protection (whenever they are not sitting in their assigned classroom seats) and consistent education regarding the basic rules of infection prevention may provide increased options for normalizing teaching activities. Children and adolescents suspected of infection with SARS-CoV-2 should be tested immediately in order to either confirm or rule out such an infection. Evidence of individual infections in children or students must not automatically lead to the closure of the entire daycare center or school. A detailed analysis of the chain of infection is a prerequisite for a balanced approach to infection control. The opening of schools and children's facilities should be accompanied by specifically structured,model surveillance studies that further clarify outstanding questions about infectious disease events and hygiene control. These prospective, concomitant examinations will be essential Germany for the purpose of evaluating and verifying the effectiveness of the required hygiene measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GMS Hygiene & Infection Control is the property of German Medical Science Publishing House gGmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of GMS Hygiene & Infection Control is the property of German Medical Science Publishing House gGmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of GMS Hygiene & Infection Control is the property of German Medical Science Publishing House gGmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The current pandemic caused by COVID-19 has underlined the importance of a joint effort and approach to ensure patient and health care worker safety in medical care throughout Europe. In addition, the recent flood disasters in Germany and other countries called for immediate joint action, in this case with regard to the prevention of water-borne infections. Environmental disasters will increase with consequences for hospitals and nursing homes. Cooperative efforts are needed for preventing and controlling associated infection outbreaks, new pathogens will appear and a geographic shift of infectious diseases previously not detected in certain areas has already been observed. This approach to infection prevention and control must entail structural as well as regulatory aspects. The principle of equal protection against infections in all European countries must be implemented. Prevention and control of infections, including nosocomial infections, infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria as well as pandemics, need to be based on equal standards in all of Europe. Protection against infections and other public health risks in all European countries is the best guarantor for building trust and identification of citizens in our common Europe. Experts in the fields of hygiene, microbiology, infectiology and epidemiology have to pool the expertise on the prevention and control of infections from different European countries and define key targets for achieving a high standard of hygiene measures throughout Europe. The participants of the Rudolf Schülke Foundation International Symposium call for immediate action and priority to be given to the realization of the proposed 16-point plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past years infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria have dramatically increased in all parts of the world. This Martin Exner1 Sanjay Bhattacharya2 consensus paper is based on presentations, subsequent discussions Bärbel Christiansen3 and an appraisal of current literature by a panel of international experts invited by the Rudolf Schülke Stiftung, Hamburg. It deals with the epi- Jürgen Gebel1 demiology and the inherent properties of Gram-negative bacteria, elu- Peter Goroncy-Bermes4 cidating the patterns of the spread of antibiotic resistance, highlighting Philippe Hartemann5 reservoirs as well as transmission pathways and risk factors for infection, Peter Heegmortality, treatment and prevention options as well as the consequences 6 of their prevalence in livestock. Following a global, One Health approach Carola Ilschner1 and based on the evaluation of the existing knowledge about these Axel Kramer7 pathogens, this paper gives recommendations for prevention and infecElaine Larsontion control measures as well as proposals for various target groups to 8,9 tackle the threats posed by Gram-negative bacteria and prevent the spread and emergence of new antibiotic resistances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing hygiene strategies, in recent years, the major focus has been on the hands as the key route of infection transmission. However, there is a multitude of lesser-known and underestimated reservoirs for microorganisms which are the triggering sources and vehicles for outbreaks or sporadic cases of infection. Among those are water reservoirs such as sink drains, fixtures, decorative water fountains and waste-water treatment plants, frequently touched textile surfaces such as private curtains in hospitals and laundry, but also transvaginal ultrasound probes, parenteral drug products, and disinfectant wipe dispensers. The review of outbreak reports also reveals Gram-negative and multiple-drug resistant microorganisms to have become an increasingly frequent and severe threat in medical settings. In some instances, the causative organisms are particularly difficult to identify because they are concealed in biofilms or in a state referred to as viable but nonculturable, which eludes conventional culture media-based detection methods. There is an enormous preventative potential in these insights, which has not been fully tapped. New and emerging pathogens, novel pathogen detection methods, and hidden reservoirs of infection should hence be given special consideration when designing the layout of buildings and medical devices, but also when defining the core competencies for medical staff, establishing programmes for patient empowerment and education of the general public, and when implementing protocols for the prevention and control of infections in medical, community and domestic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GMS Hygiene & Infection Control is the property of German Medical Science Publishing House gGmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The Rudolf Schuelke Foundation addresses topics related to hygiene, infection prevention and public health. In this context a panel of scientists from various European countries discussed "The Role of Surface Disinfection in Infection Prevention". The most important findings and conclusions of this meeting are summarised in the present consensus paper. Aim: Although the relevance of surface disinfection is increasingly being accepted, there are still a number of issues which remain controversial. In particular, the following topics were addressed: Transferral of microbes from surface to patients as a cause of infection, requirements for surface disinfectants, biocidal resistance and toxicity, future challenges. Methods and findings: After discussion and review of current scientific literature the authors agreed that contaminated surfaces contribute to the transmission of pathogens and may thus pose an infection hazard. Targeted surface disinfection based on a risk profile is seen as an indispensable constituent in a multibarrier approach of universal infection control precautions. Resistance and cross-resistance depend on the disinfectant agent as well as on the microbial species. Prudent implementation of surface disinfection regimens tested to be effective can prevent or minimize adverse effects. Conclusions: Disinfection must be viewed as a holistic process. There is a need for defining standard principles for cleaning and disinfection, for ensuring compliance with these principles by measures such as written standard operating procedures, adequate training and suitable audit systems. Also, test procedures must be set up in order to demonstrate the efficacy of disinfectants including new application methods such as pre-soaked wipes for surface disinfection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GMS Krankenhaushygiene Interdisziplinaer is the property of German Medical Science Publishing House gGmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of GMS Krankenhaushygiene Interdisziplinaer is the property of German Medical Science Publishing House gGmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Germany, recommendations on dealing with patients who are colonised with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) for the inpatient sector have been published in 1999 by the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO). Some challenges arise with regard to the practical implementation of the KRINKO recommendations. These challenges do not principally question the benefit of the recommendations but have come into criticism from users. In this commentary the German Society for Hospital Hygiene (DGKH) discusses some controversial issues and adds suggestions for unresolved problems regarding the infection control management of MRSA in healthcare settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtually no prevention strategy in hospital hygiene has been the focus of such frequent controversial discussions as the role of surface disinfection. Set against that background, the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention at the Robert Koch Institute founded a working group comprising members with divergent views of risk evaluation as regards the role of disinfection. This working group produced a most carefully drafted guideline on how to deal with various risk areas and also incorporated a new provision into the guideline, stating that: "Cleaning and disinfection procedures must be organized and implemented such that there is no increase in the microbial load or spread of facultatively pathogenic or pathogenic microorganisms on surfaces." Numerous studies have come to the conclusion that surface disinfection constitutes a basic infection control measure with which the spread of pathogens can be controlled. Conversely, when using only detergents such a form of control is not possible, something that must be taken into account in future when engaging in risk evaluation and formulating infection control measures. In view of the burgeoning trend in, for ex- ample, norovirus outbreaks, also in hospitals and nursing homes, such insights are of paramount importance and attest to the need for disinfection of surfaces and of areas with frequent hand and skin contacts. This discussion about the need for surface disinfection has, in addition to causing confusion among users, led to a decline in the willingness to accept hygienic practices, thus increasing the risk of occurrence of nosocomial infections as well as of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]