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PRODUCTS
Infection Prevention:
Our Heritage. Our Future.
It is seemingly harder than ever to stay healthy. The seasonal flu, emergence of antibiotic-resistant
superbugs, infectious diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and H1N1
influenza underscore global health threats and the potential for pandemic outbreaks. We are
reminded of the important role disease prevention can play in public health management.
In order to prevent disease, however, it is essential to understand how it spreads. The fact
is that 80 percent of germs are spread by touch.* Consider that a person can touch up to
300 surfaces in 30 minutes alone and you begin to understand the challenge of stopping
the spread of infection.
Of course, germs are not homebound organisms. The threat they pose in health care settings,
in particular, is grave. Hospital-acquired infections strike one in 10 patients, are linked to
99,000 deaths annually in the U.S. and cost an incremental $10 billion in health care costs. †
An aging population is expected to add to this problem.
* Phillip M. Tierno Jr., Ph.D., in his book, The Secret Life of Germs (November 2001).
† U.S. Centers for Disease Control: The direct medical costs of healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals and the benefits of prevention (2009).
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