Infection Control

Our Infection Control Services:

infection control ebolaMicrotech Environmental Services Corp. offers safe and meticulous “in situ” (on-site) and “ex situ” (off site) cleanup of infectious disease.

Once the type of infectious disease and pathogenicity (capacity to cause disease) is determined, we cleanup, disinfect, bag (double), track, and remove them. We insure this process runs smoothly and can arrange safe disposal.

Our methods can include chemical leaching and extraction, vaporization, pressurized water rinse with steam and air jets, scrubbing, scraping, neutralization, and dry heat, gas, vapor, fogging, foaming, steam sterilization, UV Disinfecting System (UV-C blue ultra-violet light).

Since 1992, Microtech has become the leader in cleaning up hazardous material. Our staff has specialized training specifically for infection control (e.g. “Cleaning Biological Contamination in the age of Ebola”, “OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens 29 CFR 1910.1030”, etc.).


Cleaning Process: (Ebola example)

The CDC reports there are 3.2 million outpatient hospital visits for infectious diseases and parasitic diseases per year.
Ebola Clean-up (steps below) can be applied to most Infectious Diseases. A brief overview of the preparation, cleaning, removing, and maintenance involved in cleaning up the virus (pathogens) found in biomedical waste is below.

1.Preparation:

Below is the preparation before the cleaning and decontamination is done. Proper repeated training and demonstrated competency is extremely important.

Isolating the area is important to minimize the spread of the Ebola virus. Physical barriers such as plastic enclosures with proper signage are set up to separate the clean and potentially contaminated areas.

Remove personal clothing, jewelry, watches, pens, papers, cell phones, etc. Change into disposable garments | scrubs and dedicated washable footwear (plastic or rubber).

Hands are washed and air dried. Alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) must be used to disinfect.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn and placed on the body in the order below. The equipment must be fluid-resistant or fluid impermeable. No skin should be exposed.

Order of putting on PPE (protective equipment):

  • Inner gloves
  • Boot or shoe covers
  • Gown or coverall (inner gloves tucked into gown)
  • Outer nitrile gloves with extended cuffs
  • Powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) with full face shield, helmet, or headpiece (must cover the head, hair, ears, neck, and shoulders). If N95 or higher respirator (NIOSH-certified) is used, a surgical hood and face shield are required and the outer gloves are placed on after apron
  • Outer apron (if used)
  • Disinfect outer gloved hands and air dry.

A trained observer is recommended.

2.Cleaning Infected Area:

Immediately clean and disinfect any surface that has been contaminated by the Ebola virus. All body fluids and parts must be cleaned up, contained / bagged, removed, and disposed of properly. Frequent disinfection of gloved hands is recommended throughout the process below.

  • Cover spills with absorbent material (e.g. paper towels)
  • Commercial grade disinfectant needs to be poured on to saturate the area (e.g. heat, alkaline digesters, bleach, sodium hydroxide, and use of microwaves can also be used depending on the waste’s characteristics)
  • Soak for 30+ minutes to kill the virus
  • Use tools such as brush and dustpan, forceps, or tongs instead of gloves to remove material, especially glass or sharps (sharp objects)
  • Keep the biological material intact and in the original container, usually a red plastic bag that is clearly marked
  • Disinfect the material in a disinfectant dunk tank, fumigation chamber, or decontamination shower
  • Place the original container, once disinfected, in a secondary non-breakable, leak-proof infectious waste container. Removed material can not be opened outside Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) containment, unless it is inactivated
  • Clean and decontaminate with the disinfectant again

3. Removing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment):

  • Inspect equipment for visible contamination, cuts, or tears. If potentially contaminated, disinfect using an EPA-registered disinfectant wipe and spray is recommended
  • Disinfect outer gloves and allow to dry
  • Remove protective gear in a safe place very slowly, deliberately, inspecting and disinfecting at each step in this order: apron (if used), boot | shoe covers, outer gloves, respirator with head gear, gown, shoes, inner gloves
  • Place personal protective gear | equipment (PPE) in leak-proof infectious waste containers
  • Clean hands with an alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR)

Maintenance:

Routine frequent decontamination maintenance of the Class III cabinet, HEPA filtration, hospital, lab, equipment, HVAC, etc. is necessary for maintaining a safe environment. High temperature, pressurized, steam cleaning (autoclave) can damage some equipment; the alternatives would be gaseous and vapor methods.

Your environment and IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) is restored.

Each step outlined is meant only for a quick synopsis. For more detail to each step, please visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov.


Definitions:

Pathogen is the microbe or harmful biological organism. The Pathogen causes the Infectious Disease in the right environment. Pathogen can be a virus, bacteria, fungi, prion, viroid or parasite (e.g. protozoa). They could live in and on our body.

Infectious Disease is the disorder itself. Infectious Disease is the problem created by the Pathogen (microbe/organism). Eating contaminated food or water and exchanging bodily fluids can bring on the disease between people, insects, animals.

Infection is when the bacteria, virus, or microbe enters your body and begin to multiply.

Disease occurs when your cells become damaged.

Cleanup and eliminating the communicable, infectious disease is what we do. We can track and coordinate the transportation of the Biomedical and Medical Waste Disposal as well.


Infectious Diseases:

AIDS / HIV
Amebiasis (extraintestinal or invasive)
Anthrax
Aspergillosis
Avian Bird Flu (avian influenza virus, H7N9, H5N1, H9N2)
Balantidiasis
Blastomycosis (Gilchrist’s disease)
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
C. diff
C. gattii (Cryptococcosis)
C. neoformans
Campylobacteriosis (Campylobacter jejuni)
Candidemia (Invasive Candidiasis, Candida Albicans)
Chickenpox
Cholera
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
Coronavirus (e.g. MERS-CoV)
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD, vCJD)
Cryptosporidiosis
Ebola
Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68)
Hantavirus (HPS)
Hepatitis (severe cases causes Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Liver Cancer)
Lyme Disease
Mad cow disease
Malaria
Measles
Meningococcal Disease (Meningococcus, Neisseria Meningitidis bacteria)
Meningitis
Mononucleosis (Mono, Epstein-Barr)
MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)
Mucormycosis
Mumps
Norovirus
Pneumonia (Legionnaires, Coccidioidomycosis / Valley Fever, Pneumocystis pneumonia / PCP)
Ringworm (Tinea, Dermatophytosis)
Rubella
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
Septicemia
Shigellosis (Marlow Syndrome, Dysentery, Shigella bacteria)
Shingles
Smallpox
Sporotrichosis (Sporothrix Schenckii)
Strep (Streptococcus)
Swine Flu (swine influenza virus, H1N1, H3N2)
Tuberculosis (TB)
Typhoid Fever (Paratyphoid Fever, Food Poisoning. Salmonella, E-Coli / Escherichia Coli bacteria)
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)
West Nile
Yellow fever

For a full list of Infectious Diseases, Fungal Diseases, etc. visit http://www.cdc.gov/laboratory/specimen-submission/list.html
and https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/


Medical Conditions:

Medical symptoms can range from fever, gastrointestinal, vomiting, respiratory, fatigue to death depending on the infectious disease.


Medical Waste:

During our cleanup, we find and cleanup medical waste as well. We properly place these items into a biohazard bag and container ready to be carted away.

Decomposing body (decom): Blood (serum, plasma, etc.), Body parts (organs, tissue, bones, skin, appendages, etc.), and Bodily fluids (saliva, breast milk, vomit, tears, sweat, nasal secretions, sputum, urine, feces, etc.).

Microbiological Cultures & Stocks: Medical specimens, cultures, culture dishes, surgical gloves, stocks, devices, live & attenuated vaccines, swabs used to inoculate cultures

Sharps: Contaminated injection devices, hypodermic needles, syringes, broken contaminated laboratory glass, scalpels, lancets, spiral needles, suture needle, surgical instruments, droppers, pastuer pipettes, transfer pipettes, serological pipettes, pastettes, culture tubes, culture flasks, dental anesthetic carpules, etc.

Isolation: Isolation materials used with highly communicable diseases

Other: Anything that has come in contact with blood such as medical supplies (bandages, dressings, etc.), bedding, etc.


Infectious Disease is also known as Nosocomial Infection (HAI or hospital acquired infections are also called nosocomial disease), Biomedical Waste (BMW, a subset of Biowaste), Medical Waste, Biohazardous Waste, and Regulated Medical Waste (RMW, which includes Pathological and Chemotherapy as well).

Infection Control is also called Hospital Infection Control, Ebola Control, Infectious Disease Control, Nosocomial Infection Control, Healthcare-Associated Infection Remediation, Infectious Waste Removal.

Locations of Infectious Diseases: Hospitals, Medical Facilities, Medical Research Facilities, Clinics, Nursing Homes, Home Health Care, Physician’s offices (medical, dental, veterinary), Dialysis Centers, Ambulances, Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Funeral Homes, Pharmacies, Crime Scenes, Laboratories (i.e. Medical Research, Clinical, Public Health, Industrial, and Illegal Drug), School Gyms, Daycare Facilities, Law Enforcement (Squad Cars, Jails, Holding Cells), Cruise Ships, Airplanes, Public Transportation (Mass Transit) are a few of the places you’d find them.

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) or Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF) is spread through direct contact with an infected person or contaminated objects. Touching broken skin, mucus membranes (eye, nose, mouth, etc.), body fluids (blood, etc.), or contaminated objects (needle, syringe, lab specimen, etc.) are ways to transmit the disease.