Surfaces and fomites as a source of healthcare-associated infections

Abstract

Fomites are inanimate objects in the environment that can become contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms, facilitating their transfer from one patient or surface to another. Understanding how pathogens are spread in the environment and terminating the spread is important for controlling nosocomial outbreaks. Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are associated with excess morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs 1 . The quality of infection control practices, environmental cleaning, understaffing, overcrowding and poor healthcare facility infrastructure are all factors that can affect HAI rates. The true prevalence of HAI may be underestimated by the presence of unrecognised infections. Within any nosocomial environment, surfaces and fomites serve as reservoirsofinfection,withhealthcare workersactingasvectorsfor transmission 2 .Althoughbacterialspeciesarethebest-studiedexam