Environmental Pathogens, Antimicrobial Resistance and the Importance of Surface Disinfection in Healthcare Environments

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is the ability of microbes to resist the effects of drugs – that is, the germs are not killed and their growth is not stopped. These pathogens can be found in the environment in the air, water, soil and on surfaces, as well as in or on people and animals.
 
All types of microbes have the ability to potentially develop resistance to the drugs created to destroy them, becoming drug-resistant organisms. Although antimicrobial resistance through genetic changes can occur naturally over time, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials is accelerating this process. Just a few years ago, the agency reported that antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires action across all government sectors and society. It also proclaimed that antimicrobial resistance threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.
 
“In the United States alone, the CDC reports that at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics,” said Franco Seif, President at Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “At least 23,000 people die annually as a direct result of these infections. This CDC number doesn’t include deaths due to antimicrobial resistant viruses, fungi and parasites. This is why detecting the presence of environmental pathogens, especially those with antimicrobial resistance, in healthcare settings and other sensitive environments is a major concern.”
 
To help in these efforts, CSC offers testing and consulting services to identify environmental pathogens in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other institutional and commercial environments. These services can help prevent the outbreak of disease and are instrumental in confirming the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection procedures in these facilities.
 
Clark Seif Clark also recently sponsored an educational video about antimicrobial resistance and environmental pathogens that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/b_aX9EIz4Kg
 
To learn more about this or other environmental, health and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118. 
 
About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail