The history of the world is intertwined with the impact that infectious diseases
have had on populations. Evidence of smallpox has been 
found in 3000-year-old Egyptian mummies and Egyptian papyrus paintings depict infectious diseases such as poliomyelitis. Hippocrates wrote about the spread of disease by means of airs, water, and places, and made an association between climate, diet, and living conditions. And the Black Death of the 14th century had been the deadliest disease in history – until only recently being overtaken by AIDS.
In 1962 control and prevention measures, including the use of antibiotics and the development of vaccines, had decreased the incidence of many infectious diseases. It therefore seemed entirely logical for the Nobel prize winner Sir Macfarlane Burnet to state ‘By the end of the Second World War it was possible to say that almost all of the major practical problems of dealing with infectious disease had been solved.’
However, although we’ve eradicated smallpox - and poliomyelitis and dracunculiasis are in the final stages of eradication - we are now aware that emerging and re-emerging infections have become a significant worldwide problem. Therefore, as International Infection Prevention Week draws to a close, join us in celebrating both the amazing advances in science we’ve seen across the 20th Century and the importance of the role infection prevention still plays in improving patient safety in the 21st. 2016’s theme is Breaking the Chain of Infection.
APIC's entertaining germ quiz!
Here at CareShield, we’re proud of playing a small part in helping bang the drum for the importance of Infection Control, through our five Social Care and six Healthcare Infection Control training courses, excluding the Care Certificate. And we love the Association for Professionals in Infection Control’s (APIC) entertaining quiz to find out what germ best matches your personality. It’s easy! Once you enter the website, click on the second option ‘What Germ Are You?’ Answer 10 simple, fun questions, and your result will pop up.
http://professionals.site.apic.org/get-social/polls-and-quizzes/
Don’t forget to share with colleagues to find out what sort of bug they are too!
