PLEASANTON, Calif.,
Feb. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- In the fight against healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs),
today's healthcare facilities need proven solutions to kill a broad
range of infection-causing pathogens, from deadly hospital
pathogens like Clostridium difficile (C. difficile)
to new threats posed by emerging viral pathogens.
To ensure its disinfectants continue to meet the highest
standards of efficacy, Clorox Healthcare voluntarily tested two of
its leading ready-to-use bleach disinfectants using updated U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended standards, which
raise the bar for sporicidal disinfectant efficacy. Today, Clorox
Healthcare is proud to announce that Clorox Healthcare®
Bleach Germicidal Wipes and Clorox Healthcare® Bleach
Germicidal Cleaners are now EPA-registered to kill C.
difficile spores in three minutes, tested in the presence of a
three-part organic soil load,1 and have gained new
disinfection claims for emerging viral pathogens including
SARS-associated Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome-associated Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and other common causes
of HAIs.
"At Clorox Healthcare, we are dedicated to safeguarding patient
environments and continuously strive to ensure our surface
disinfectants meet the needs of the ever-changing healthcare
environment," says Lynda Lurie,
Director – Marketing, Clorox Healthcare. "We made these changes
proactively so that healthcare professionals can be prepared for
whatever comes through their doors, wherever care is
delivered."
Innovating to Protect Against Healthcare Pathogens and
Emerging Threats
In an increasingly global and interconnected society, emerging
and re-emerging infectious diseases present serious challenges for
healthcare facilities. This is especially true of viral pathogens
with high potential for hospital-associated transmission, such as
SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, which caused large hospital outbreaks in
Saudi Arabia in 2013 and 2014 and
in South Korea in
20152,3 Both MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV are included in the
World Health Organization 2017 list of priority diseases likely to
cause severe outbreaks.4 Scientific evidence
has shown that viruses, including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and certain
strains of the influenza virus, can survive on surfaces for
extended periods, sometimes up to months, and may play a role in
transmission.5
The ease of modern travel has only served to increase the risk
and potential impact of disease transmission at the domestic and
global level, and underscores the need for disinfectants healthcare
professionals can trust.
To help safeguard patient environments against emerging and
re-emerging threats, Clorox Healthcare® Bleach
Germicidal Wipes and Clorox Healthcare® Bleach
Germicidal Cleaners are now EPA-registered to kill SARS-CoV,
MERS-CoV, Enterovirus D68, the Measles virus, and Influenza A and
Influenza B viruses, both of which are major causes of flu in
United States.6 They
have also gained disinfecting claims for common causes of HAIs
including Staphylococcus epidermidis (CoNS), Candida
glabrata and Enteroccocus hirae.
Long trusted for their broad-spectrum disinfection efficacy and
utility in C. difficile infection prevention protocols,
Clorox Healthcare® Bleach Germicidal Wipes are now
EPA-registered to kill 58 microorganisms in three minutes or less.
Clorox Healthcare® Bleach Germicidal Cleaners are now
EPA-registered to kill 50 microorganisms in three minutes or
less.
Raising the Bar for Sporicidal Disinfectant Efficacy: Why
Testing with Soil Matters
Today, C. difficile is one of the most prevalent causes
of HAIs in the United States and
remains a top priority for hospital leaders
nationwide.7 In fiscal year 2017, C.
difficile infections will also result in financial penalties
for "preventable" HAIs under the Hospital-Acquired Condition
Reduction Program, mandated by the Affordable Care Act of
2010.8
C. difficile spores, which are found in the intestines
and shed via feces, can persist in the environment for months,
making surface disinfection a vital component of infection
prevention strategies. Since 2009, the EPA has worked to
standardize the methodology and regulatory guidance related to
disinfectants designed to treat surfaces contaminated with C.
difficile spores. The latest EPA Interim Guidance, issued in
June 2014, updated C.
difficile testing standards to include using a clinically
relevant C. difficile strain and measuring disinfection
efficacy in the presence of a three-part organic soil
load.9
"The presence of soil creates a more challenging and more
realistic environment for disinfection, given that many studies
show surfaces are frequently missed during the pre-cleaning step
required by the EPA before disinfection against C. difficile
spores," says Hedi Modaressi,
Department Manager – R&D, Clorox Healthcare. "That's why we
proactively tested our ready-to-use bleach germicidal disinfectants
using current EPA recommended standards, which more accurately
mimic the real-world conditions they need to perform in to help
keep the patient environment clean and safe."
The new testing standards create a higher challenge for
sporicidal disinfectant efficacy. Through voluntary testing, Clorox
Healthcare Bleach Germicidal disinfectants have been able to
maintain, and in some cases improve, contact times, killing 99.9999
percent of C. difficile spores – the EPA's required
threshold for efficacy – within three minutes, even in the presence
of the three-part organic soil load.
About Clorox Healthcare
Building on a century-long
legacy in cleaning and disinfecting, Clorox Healthcare offers
a wide range of products to help stop the spread of infection in
healthcare facilities. From comprehensive surface disinfection,
including advanced ultraviolet technology, to skin antisepsis, we
are committed to providing efficacious solutions to the healthcare
community. For more information,
visit www.CloroxHealthcare.com or follow @CloroxHealth on
Twitter.
NYSE: CLX
CLX-B
1 Follow special instructions for cleaning prior to
disinfection.
2 Assiri, A, et al. "Hospital Outbreak of Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus." N Engl J Med 2013;
369:407-416.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1306742#t=article.
3 Chowell, G, et al. "Transmission Characteristics of
MERS and SARS in the Healthcare Setting: a Comparative Study."
BMC Medicine 2015;13:210.
https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-015-0450-0.
4 "List of Pathogens." World Health Organization.
http://www.who.int/csr/research-and-development/list_of_pathogens/en/.
(Accessed Feb. 8, 2017).
5 Otter, JA et al. "Transmission of SARS and MERS
Coronaviruses and Influenza Virus in Healthcare Settings: the
Possible Role of Dry Surface Contamination." J. Hosp.
Infect. 2016, 92 (3), 235–250.
6 "Influenza (Flu) Viruses." U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/index.htm. (Accessed
Feb. 8, 2017).
7 Saint, S, et al. "Clostridium difficile
Infection in the United States: A
National Study Assessing Preventive Practices Used and Perceptions
of Practice Evidence." Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol.
2015;36.8:969–971.
8 "Hospital Value-Based Purchasing." Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services.
https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/hospital-value-based-purchasing.
(Accessed Feb. 8, 2017).
9 "Guidance for the Efficacy Evaluation of Products with
Sporicidal Claims Against Clostridium difficile
(June 2014)." U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/guidance-efficacy-evaluation-products-sporicidal-claims-against-clostridium#main-content.
(Accessed Feb. 8, 2017).
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SOURCE Clorox Healthcare