SWINE FLU

Swine Flu is an infection caused by a virus. Swine flu is contagious and can spread from human to human. First recognized in the 1919 pandemic, it still circulates as a seasonal flu virus today. The virus comes from the H1N1 virus strain, which started in pigs.

Spreads easily • Requires a medical diagnosis • Lab tests or imaging often required

Symptoms include:

• Chills
• Cough
• Body aches
• Fever
• Sore throat.

Typical treatment includes rest, pain relievers, and fluids.

How it spreads

• By airborne respiratory droplets (coughs or sneezes).
• By saliva (kissing or shared drinks).
• By touching a contaminated surface (blanket or doorknob).

COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

What classifies a virus as a coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses, meaning they are RNA viruses that are surrounded by an outer coating comprised of a lipid bilayer (water-insoluable fatty coathing). Enveloped viruses spread through a “budding off” process during which a new virus becomes wrapped in an outer coating. However, if this layer is disolved, these viruses are relatively easy to kill making them more susceptible to disinfectants than non-enveloped viruses. Covid-19 therefore falls into a category of viruses that are most susceptible to disinfectants.

 How long does COVID-19 live on surfaces?

Current evidence suggests that COVID-19 may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. 

Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings.

How it spreads

• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Talking
• Singing
• Touching the face, eyes, nose and mouth

Norovirus

Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Anyone can get infected and sick with norovirus. Worldwide, noroviruses are believed to be the most common cause of quick-onset gastroenteritis. In layperson’s terms, that diarrhea and vomiting illness. It’s so common, WebMD says, “On average, noroviruses cause 19 to 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis in the U.S. per year.” While outbreaks can happen anytime, most occur between November and April.

Symptoms include:

• Low-grade fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Muscleaches
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting

How it spreads

You can get norovirus from:

• Having direct contact with an infected person.
• Consuming contaminated food or water.
• Surface contamination, such as countertops, light switches, water faucets, etc.

RESPIRATORY FLU

Influenza is a viral infection that attacks your respiratory system — your nose, throat and lungs. Young children, elderly adults pregnant women, and people with chronic disease or weak immune systems are at high risk. Influenza is commonly called the flu, but it’s not the same as stomach “flu” viruses that cause diarrhea and vomiting.

Symptoms

Initially, the flu may seem like a common cold with a runny nose, sneezing and sore throat. The flu tends to come on suddenly, whereas a cold normally develops slowly. And although a cold can be a nuisance, you usually feel much worse with the flu.

Common signs and symptoms of the flu include:

• Fever over 100.4 F (38 C)
• Aching muscles
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Dry, persistent cough
• Fatigue and weakness
• Nasal congestion
• Chills and sweats

How it spreads

Flu viruses travel through the air in droplets when someone with the infection coughs, sings, sneezes or talks. Some inhale the droplets directly, or others pick up the germs from an object — such as a telephone or computer keyboard — and then transfer them to their eyes, nose or mouth. People with the virus are likely contagious from the day or so before symptoms first appear until about five days after symptoms begin. People with weakened immune systems and children may be contagious for a slightly longer time.

LISTERIA (Listeriosis)

Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. This bacterium is capable of surviving with or without oxygen. An estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year, and about 260 pass away. The most likely to get infected include sicken pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems.

Symptoms:

Symptoms in pregnant women include: mild flu-like symptoms, headaches, muscle aches, fever, nausea, and vomiting. It can cause stiff neck, disorientation, or convulsions, if the infection spreads to the nervous system.

The following symptoms of Listeria infection are likely to last 1-3 days:

• muscle aches
• fever
• flu-like symptoms
• nausea
• diarrhea

How it spreads

Listeria bacteria can be found in soil, water and animal feces. Humans typically are infected by consuming:

• Raw vegetables that have been contaminated from the soil or from contaminated manure used as fertilizer
• Contaminated animal meat
• Unpasteurized milk or foods made with unpasteurized milk
• Certain processed foods — such as hot dogs, soft cheeses and deli meats that have been contaminated after processing
• Unborn babies can contract a listeria infection from the mother via the placenta.

Astrovirus

Astroviruses are one of several pathogens that can cause gastroenteritis in humans. The main symptom caused by astrovirus is diarrhea. Compared to other microorganisms that can cause gastroenteritis, such as rotavirus and norovirus, diarrhea caused by astrovirus is usually mild. Infants and young children are most likely to contract astroviruses, but the infection also occurs in the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

Symptoms

While mild diarrhea is the main symptom astroviruses cause, a person who gets sick may also have other common symptoms of gastroenteritis, including:

• nausea
• vomiting
• stomachache
• no appetite
• body aches
• fever

How it spreads

Once a person has become infected with astrovirus, the particles are shed in fecal matter and can be spread to others. Someone who is sick can spread the infection to others, even after a they start to feel better because they may still be shedding virus particles in their stool. Astrovirus can be transmitted between people in a number of ways, but a person’s risk for infecting others is increased by certain factors.

• Poor handwashing/hygiene practices
• Handling or preparing food
• Living or working closely with others in shared spaces (dorms, barracks, daycares)

GASTRO VIRUSES

Viral gastroenteritis is an intestinal infection marked by watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea or vomiting, and sometimes fever. The most common way to develop viral gastroenteritis — often called stomach flu —is through contact with an infected person or by consuming contaminated water or food.

Symptoms

Gastroenteritis isn’t the same as influenza. Although it’s commonly referred to as the stomach flu. Real flu (influenza) affects only your respiratory system — your nose, throat and lungs. Gastroenteritis, attacks your intestines, causing signs and symptoms, such as:

• Watery, usually non-bloody diarrhea — bloody diarrhea usually means you have a different, more severe infection
• Abdominal cramps and pain
• Nausea, vomiting or both
• Occasional muscle aches or headache
• Low-grade fever

How it spreads

• There are many ways gastroenteritis can be spread:
• Contact with someone who has the virus
• Contaminated food or water
• Unwashed hands after going to the bathroom or changing a diaper

The most common cause of gastroenteritis is a virus. Gastroenteritis flu can be caused by many different kinds of viruses.

TUBERCULOSIS

Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects your lungs but can attack any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. The bacteria that cause tuberculosis spread from one person to another through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes. TB is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. In 2017, 10 million people became sick with TB, and 1.6 million dies.

Symptoms

Although your body may harbor the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB), your immune system usually can prevent you from becoming sick. Because of this reason, doctors make a distinction between:

Latent TB. In this condition, you have a TB infection, but the bacteria remain in your body in an inactive state and cause no symptoms. Latent TB, also called inactive TB or TB infection, isn’t contagious. It can turn into active TB, so treatment is important for the person with latent TB and to help control the spread of TB. An estimated 2 billion people have latent TB.

Active TB. This condition makes you sick and in most cases can spread to others. It can occur in the first few weeks after infection with the TB bacteria, or it might occur years later.

Signs and symptoms of active TB include:

• Coughing that lasts three or more weeks
• Coughing up blood
• Chest pain, or pain with breathing or coughing
• Unintentional weight loss
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Night sweats
• Chills
• Loss of appetite

How it spreads

Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that spread from person to person through microscopic droplets released into the air. This can happen when someone with the untreated, active form of tuberculosis coughs, sneezes, speaks, spits, laughs or sings. You are more likely to get TB from someone you are close with than from a stranger, because though it is contagious, it is not easy to catch.

CLOSTRIDIODES DIFFICILE (C. diff)

Clostridioides difficile (also known as C. diff) is a bacterium that causes diarrhea and colitis (an inflammation of the colon). In the United States it’s estimated to cause almost half a million illnesses each year. The bacteria is often spread in hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care facilities, where workers and patients are more likely to come into contact with it. You can also become infected if you touch clothing, sheets, or other surfaces that have come in contact with feces and then touch your mouth or nose.

Symptoms

Symptoms might develop within a few days after you begin taking antibiotics.

• Diarrhea including loose, watery stools (poop) or frequent bowel movements for several days
• Loss of appetite
• Stomach tenderness or pain
• Fever
• Nausea

How it spreads

Spores from C. difficile bacteria are passed in feces and spread to food, surfaces and objects when people who are infected don’t wash their hands thoroughly. If you touch a surface contaminated with C. difficile spores, you may then unknowingly swallow the bacteria. These spores can exist in a room for weeks or months.

ACINETOBACTER

The Acinetobacter superbug can cause diseases such as pneumonia and meningitis. Acinetobacter baumannii is a bacterium that can cause a range of diseases.It usually infects people inside a healthcare facility. There are many different species of Acinetobacter that can cause disease, but A. baumannii accounts for about 80 percent of reported Acinetobacter infections in the United States, according to the CDC. Also according to the CDC, Healthy people have a very low risk of getting an A. baumannii infection.The Acinetobacter superbug can cause diseases such as pneumonia and meningitis. Acinetobacter baumannii is a bacterium that can cause a range of diseases.It usually infects people inside a healthcare facility. There are many different species of Acinetobacter that can cause disease, but A. baumannii accounts for about 80 percent of reported Acinetobacter infections in the United States, according to the CDC. Also according to the CDC, Healthy people have a very low risk of getting an A. baumannii infection.

Symptoms

• Pneumonia
• Bloodstream infections (bacteremia and sepsis)
• Meningitis (an infection or inflammation of the meninges, the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord)
• Wound and surgical site infections, including the “flesh-eating” bacterium necrotizing fasciitis
• Urinary tract infections (UTI)

How it spreads

Acinetobacter bacteria are not airborne, but can be spread through direct contact with surfaces, objects, or the skin of people that are contaminated with A. baumannii.

MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium that causes infections in different parts of the body. It’s tougher to treat than most strains of staphylococcus aureus (staph) because it’s resistant to most commonly used antibiotics.

Symptoms

The symptoms of a MRSA infection depend on the part of the body that is infected. For example, people with MRSA skin infections often can get swelling, warmth, redness, and pain in infected skin.

How it Spreads

You can get MRSA by touching another person who has it on the skin because it is spread by contact. You could also get it by touching objects that have the bacteria on them. MRSA is carried by about 2% of the population (or 2 in 100 people), although most of them aren’t infected. People get MRSA in two different environments, hospitals and health care facilities or they get it in the community.

Alarmingly, MRSA is also showing up in healthy people who have not been hospitalized. This type of MRSA is called community-associated MRSA, or CA-MRSA. CA-MRSA skin infections have been identified among certain populations that share close quarters or have more skin-to-skin contact. Good examples are athletic teammates, prison inmates, military recruits, and children in daycare. But more and more CA-MRSA infections are being seen in the general community, especially in certain geographic regions.

PARVOVIRUS B19

Parvovirus B19 usually infects children and causes the classic “slapped-cheek” rash of erythema infectiosum (fifth disease). Only humans can get Parvovirus B19. The virus is highly infectious and spreads mainly through respiratory droplets. The transmission rate is about 50 percent for those living with infected persons and about 20 to 30 percent for susceptible teachers and day care workers who are exposed to infected children.

Symptoms

Parvovirus B19 most commonly causes fifth disease, a mild rash illness that usually affects children. Adults can get infected with parvovirus B19, too.

Other much less common symptoms of parvovirus B19 infection include painful or swollen joints (polyarthropathy syndrome), which is more common in adults, and severe anemia (a condition in which the body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells). In rare cases, some of these symptoms can persist for a long time.

How it spreads

Parvovirus B19 spreads through respiratory secretions, such as saliva, sputum, or nasal mucus, when an infected person coughs or sneezes. You are most contagious before you get the rash or joint pain and swelling, when it seems like you have “just a fever and/or cold”.

E. COLI (ESCHERICHIA COLI)

Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. Most types of E. coli are harmless and even help keep your digestive tract healthy. But some strains can cause diarrhea if you eat contaminated food or drink fouled water. While many of us associate E. coli with food poisoning, you can also get pneumonia and urinary tract infections from different types of the bacteria. In fact, 75% to 95% of urinary tract infections are caused by E. coli.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of E. coli infection typically begin three or four days after exposure to the bacteria, though you may become ill as soon as one day after to more than a week later. Signs and symptoms include:

• Abdominal cramping, pain or tenderness
• Nausea and vomiting, in some people
• Diarrhea, which may range from mild and watery to severe and bloody

How it spreads

Among the many strains of E. coli, only a few trigger diarrhea. One group of E. coli produces a powerful toxin that damages the lining of the small intestine, which can cause bloody diarrhea. You develop an E. coli infection when you consume this strain of bacteria. Not Like many other disease-causing bacteria, E. coli can cause an infection even if you ingest only small amounts. Because of this, you can be sickened by E. coli from eating a slightly undercooked hamburger or from swallowing a mouthful of contaminated pool water. Potential sources of exposure include contaminated food or water and person-to-person contact.

KLEBSIELLA

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) are bacteria that normally live in your intestines and feces. These bacteria are harmless when they remain in your intestines. But if they spread to another part of your body, then they can cause severe infections. This risk is higher if you’re sick. The location of your infection will determine your symptoms and treatment. Generally, healthy people don’t get K. pneumoniae infections. You’re more likely to get it if you have a weak immune system due to a medical condition or long-term antibiotic use.

Symptoms

Because K. pneumoniae can infect different parts of the body, it can cause different types of infections. Each infection has different symptoms. You may have:

• Fever
• Cough
• Trouble breathing
• More mucus, which may be thick and bloody
• Brain (meningitis)
• Heart (endocarditis)
• Skin (cellulitis)
• Urinary tract (UTIs)
• Chest pain
• Blood (bacteremia or septicemia)

How it spreads

K. pneumoniae spreads through person-to-person contact. Which can happen if you touch someone who’s infected.

Someone who isn’t infected can also carry the bacteria from one person to another.
In addition, the bacteria might contaminate medical objects like:

• Ventilators
• Ureter catheters
• Intravenous catheters

K. pneumoniae can’t spread through the air.

VANCOMYCIN-RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCUS (VRE)

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) are specific types of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria that are resistant to vancomycin. Vancomycin is the drug often used to treat infections caused by enterococci. Enteroccocci are bacteria that are normally found in the human intestines and female genital tract. They are often found in the environment as well. These bacteria can sometimes cause infections. Most vancomycin-resistant Enterococci infections occur in hospitals.

Symptoms

If you get sick from VRE, you might have these symptoms:

• Fever
• Fast heart rate
• Redness, swelling, or pain in your body
• Chills
• General sick feeling

How it spreads

Most VRE infections are transmitted in hospitals. The bacteria often spread when a doctor or other healthcare worker touches an infected person, surface, or medical equipment and then doesn’t wash their hands properly before touching another patient. Unlike some other bacterial infections, VRE does not spread through the air.

SALMONELLA

Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) is a common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract. Salmonella bacteria typically live in the intestines of humans and animals and are shed through feces. Food and water is this most common way people become effected. CDC estimates Salmonella causes about 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths in the United States every year. Food is the source for about 1 million of these illnesses.

Symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Chills
• Headache
• Blood in the stool
• Joint Pain
• Dehydration
• Diarrhea
• Fever

How it spreads

There are many possible sources of a salmonella infection. Some of them are:

• Poultry (chicken, turkey, or duck)
• Beef and veal
• Pork
• Contaminated water
• Under cooking
• Pets

If you have an urgent need for disinfection, please call us directly at 440-225-2349.