Infection Control & Communicable Disease
Infection Control and Communicable Disease Report
Over this past year, our committee consisting of Lisa Smith, Adam Tipert and myself have been monitoring anything that would be of concern in the area of Infection Control and Communicable Disease, as well as Occupational Health and Safety. At this point last year we as a province, and the rest of our country and world were dealing with the effects of H1N1 Influenza Virus. This was an eye opening experience for some in our profession as well as others. Last year at our AGM, Adam Tipert outlined what you, as a professional, can do to protect yourself in your day to day work environment. More recently we have been dealing with an outbreak of Clostridium Difficile, also known as C. Diff, This, along with the annual flu virus has put a strain on our health care system in the province. We saw outbreaks of the C. Diff virus at various locations around the province, including, but not limited to, hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities. Limiting your exposure to the various outbreak sites is advised, however for those in our profession that isn't always possible. It is advised to wear protective gloves and to sanitize your hands when leaving the facility, as you normally would do, however being more vigilant. Another area of concern is in regards to the Bed Bug infestation that is happening in some homes, hospitals and nursing homes. Bed Bugs are easily transferred in the bedding during a home removal or in the deceased's personal effects. Every funeral professional should be aware of the Bed Bug signs and take proper precautions to protect themselves as well as other members of their team and family. You may find out more by rading the article "Bed Bug Prevention for Emergency Facilities and Patient Transport" by Dini M. Miller, Ph.D., Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech. It is also available at http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticides/pdffiles/bb-emt1.pdfRespectfully submitted,
Jonathan DeMont, Co-Chair