Spread
Biological agents spread via:
- the air (e.g., sneezing, coughing)
- indirect contact (via contaminated objects such as taps, doorknobs)
- direct contact via the hands with bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, wound fluid, feces, urine, etc
- vectors, such as mosquitoes (malaria) or ticks (Lyme disease)
Each method of transmission carries risks and requires specific measures.
Measures
The goal of infection prevention is to prevent biological agents from spreading. This can be achieved in the following ways:
- Keeping biological agents out of the hospital. This is usually not possible, because it would also mean keeping people out.
- Shielding biological agents, for example by isolating infectious patients and working in a safety cabinet in a laboratory.
- Vaccination. Someone who has been vaccinated is protected and often less contagious to others.
- Technical measures, such as (fume)extraction, working with air pressure differences between rooms, and the use of needles with a safety mechanism.
- Organizational measures, such as designing processes in such a way that the risk of spread is minimal, providing work instructions and informing employees about the risks in their work.
- (Personal) hygiene measures, such as disinfecting hands between each patient contact and extra measures in case of a known risk, for example with a patient with tuberculosis.
- Personal protective equipment, wearing gloves, face masks, safety glasses, and aprons during high-risk activities.
- Measures after exposure, such as preventive treatment with antibiotics.
Read more at www.kiza.nl, the website of the Knowledge Information System on Infectious Diseases at Work.