by admin | Jul 22, 2021 | Blog
When it comes to determining relatedness between isolates in an HAI investigation, you know by now that we believe there is no better tool than whole-genome sequencing (WGS). But in some cases, WGS alone may not be enough. Although WGS allows you to see variations of...
by admin | Jun 17, 2021 | Blog
As the pandemic starts to clear, infection control and microbiology labs are finally getting a chance to examine what was learned about healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) during the pandemic. One learning is that at least some types of HAIs such as central...
by admin | Apr 7, 2021 | Blog
We always believed that whole genome sequencing based surveillance would be the most cost-effective strategy for infection control, but we didn’t realize that the cost can go all the way down to $0. Before you think we’ve gone mad, let’s clarify what we actually mean....
by admin | Feb 18, 2021 | Blog
It can be confusing to make sense of the alphabet soup of methods used to test if samples are actually part of an outbreak. In speaking with customers, we have heard a range of methods being used, from antibiograms without any further testing to custom SNP (Single...
by admin | Dec 1, 2020 | Blog
Fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) are remarkably effective treatment options for recurrent C. diff infections. However, a series of recent FDA safety alerts in 2019 and 2020 highlight the potentially serious risks associated with the procedure, namely the risk of...
by admin | Oct 21, 2020 | Blog
Hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections remain a significant source of morbidity for neonates in the intensive care unit. So when a MRSA outbreak is suspected, it is extremely important to act fast and make the right call....
by admin | Sep 23, 2020 | Blog
Rooting Out Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii from Environmental Reservoir. A recent inquiry we received about potential Acinetobacter baumannii transmissions among patients being treated for COVID highlighted just how different daily routines have become...
by admin | Jul 23, 2020 | Blog
In today’s unprecedented times, infection control is more critical than ever. While COVID-19 is the priority for all of us, healthcare-associated infections of all types remain a concern. Antibiotic resistance continues to claim thousands of lives each year...
