Infection Control Matters

Candidozyma auris has become one of the greatest environmental challenges facing infection prevention teams. Its ability to survive on surfaces, form resilient biofilms and spread within healthcare settings has raised important questions about whether our current cleaning and disinfection practices are enough. In this episode, Martin and Brett are joined by Aristotelis Papadimitriou from Athens to discuss his newly published systematic review on environmental decontamination of Candidozyma auris. They explore which disinfectants are the most effective, why biofilms change everything, the importance of fungal clades, and the significant gap between laboratory efficacy studies and the realities of cleaning busy healthcare environments. Open access paper we discuss: Papadimitriou A, Drosopoulou LP, Tseroni M, Kontopidou FV, Tsakris A, Vrioni G. Breaking the Chain of Infection: A Systematic Review of Environmental Decontamination of Candidozyma auris (2017-2025). J Fungi (Basel) 2026;12(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/jof12020131

In the second ESCMID Global 2026 poster tour episode, Brett and Martin found three different and thought-provoking posters that highlight the importance of people, partnerships and communication in advancing infection prevention and control. We begin by talking to Dr Aline Wolfensberger from Zurich about a Swiss project that used human-centred design and co-production to develop practical tools that engage patients and relatives in the prevention of non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia. Through a process of interviews, observations and co-design workshops, the team created innovative, low-cost solutions to promote oral care and mobilisation, demonstrating how patients and families can become active partners in prevention. https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/download/ina7czek4ac7q83r/ESCMID_Global_2026_-_Patient_partnership_for_prevention_PPP_-_co-designed_solutions_to_engage_patients_and_relatives_in_non-ventilator_hospital-acquired_pneumonia_preventiona7pol.pdf We then examined an innovative researcher–journalist residency programme that explored the challenges of communicating science to wider audiences. The project revealed the differing cultures, expectations and pressures faced by researchers and journalists, while identifying opportunities to strengthen collaboration and improve public understanding of infectious diseases and healthcare. https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/download/ykf54b6zejskjhwt/ESCMID_Global_2026_-_Promoting_scientific_communication-_insights_from_a_joint_researcher_journalist_residency8nweq.pdf Finally, we discussed findings from the EU-JAMRAI 2 initiative with the author. This work explored the collaboration needs of infection prevention professionals across Europe. The study highlights the value of mentorship, peer-to-peer learning and international networking in supporting professional development and sharing best practice. https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/download/yungzdpc6fatf3zd/ESCMID_Global_2026_-_Assessment_of_peer-to-peer_collaboration_needs_across_IPC_professionals_in_Europe_an_EU-JAMRAI-2_initiative9cro2.pdf

In this episode, Martin talks to Dr Jon Otter, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London, UK. We examine two complementary pieces of work that provide further insight into Candidozyma auris transmission in acute hospitals. The first demonstrates, for the first time in the UK, that ward-level wastewater reliably mirrors patient colonisation and can reveal genetically related outbreak strains using culture and PCR. The second, a case–control study, identifies clinical and environmental risk factors that shape colonisation, highlighting the significance of shared patient equipment. The paper can be found here: Davidson HC, Griffin AE, Symes L, Laing KG, Witney AA, Gould K, et al. Detection of Candidozyma (formerly Candida) auris from ward wastewater during an outbreak using culture and molecular methods. J Hosp Infect 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2025.10.024 A copy of the poster can be downloaded here

In this episode, Martin spoke to the authors of two compelling posters showcased at the 2025 Infection Prevention Society Conference in Brighton, each discussing practical, data-driven approaches to reducing avoidable harm. Download the posters and have a listen to two authors with a passion for their projects. First, Catherine Lemsalu, a Dental Nurse from the IPC Team at University Hospital Plymouth discusses her quality-improvement work on an acute stroke ward, demonstrating how structured mouth-care assessment, targeted staff education, and consistent daily oral care contributed to reductions in non-ventilated hospital-acquired pneumonia and Clostridioides difficile infections. Her poster highlights how simple, early interventions—done well—can strengthen antimicrobial stewardship, improve patient outcomes, and build ward-level capability through mouth-care champions. We then explored the development of a national surveillance framework and digital tool for vascular access device–related bloodstream infections (VAD-BSI) with Sue Rowlands from The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. Their multidisciplinary initiative has created a standardised, user-friendly approach to classifying VAD-BSI, identifying risk factors, and generating automated visual outputs that support local reporting, audit, and education. Early pilot data show strong usability, enhanced insight into bloodstream infection epidemiology, and meaningful impact on line-care practice. Posters can be downloaded here: Reduction of hospital-acquired pneumonia and Clostridioides difficile infections through focused line care Developing a surveillance framework and digital tool for Vascular Access Device-Related Bloodstream Infections (VAD-BSI): improving patient safety through local data and national insight

In this episode, Martin Kiernan hosts a panel discussion at the 2026 Infection Prevention Society Conference in Brighton, United Kingdom. The Panel comprised: Dr Stephane Bouchoucha, Associate Professor in Nursing and Associate Head of School (International) in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Deakin University in Melbourne, New South Wales Australia. Stephane is the current President of the Australasian College of Infection Prevention and Control Dr Mark Garvey, Consultant Clinical Scientist in Microbiology and Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control for the Infection Prevention and Control Service at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) Kerry Holden, Lead Nurse and Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the UK. Kerry is the current IPS Vice-President. Dr Maura Smiddy, Director of the MSc in Infection Prevention and Control at University College Cork in Ireland and Chair of the IPS Research and Development Group. Lorraine Williams, Deputy Director of Infection Prevention & Control and Lead Nurse for IPC. Lorraine is a former IPS Vice-President. Topics we discuss include: Why are infection rates not falling? What can be done to reduce infections in long-term care that require readmission to hospital If each panel member were given £1,000,000 for an implementation, what would they do? If each panel member had to stop doing something that the infection prevention team currently does, what would that be?

In this episode Martin talks to Squadron Leader Tez Cooling and Flight Lieutenant Emma Foley about their work in the Royal Air Force (RAF) retrieval service for patients with known and suspected High Consequence Infectious Disease who are transferred to specialist units in the UK. The team discuss how the Air Transportable Isolator (ATI) is used in order to safely carry out repatriations in a timely manner and the training that is required to operate suct a specialist service.

In this episode, Brett, Phil and Martin discuss a recent paper from Freya Bull and colleagues, who undertook a modelling exercise to determine what factors determine the colonisation process for long and short-term urinary catheters. It turns out that different factors are in play here and that strategies for CAUTI prevention miht be different for each. You can read the paper here: Bull F, Tavaddod S, Bommer N, Perry M, Brackley CA, Allen RJ. Different factors control long-term versus short-term outcomes for bacterial colonisation of a urinary catheter. Nat Commun 2025;16(1):3940. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59161-y. Brett's group's previous work on short-term catheters is here: Fasugba O, Cheng AC, Gregory V, Graves N, Koerner J, Collignon P, et al. Chlorhexidine for meatal cleaning in reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections: a multicentre stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial. Lancet Infect Dis 2019;19(6):611-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30736-9.

A discussion on the lates papers in Surgical Site infection prevention