BioScience Laboratories, Inc., personnel participate in the activities of numerous national and international professional associations that focus on microbiology and infection control in the healthcare and food service industries.  As our website indicates, our interests relate to disinfectant and topical antimicrobial formulations, their importance in reducing the risk of disease transmission, and fair assessments of their antimicrobial efficacy.  Because such assessments require methods of testing that provide reliably reproducible data meaningful in the context of infection control, our personnel have, for many years, been deeply involved in method development through the American Association for Testing and Materials (ASTM), specifically, Subcommittee E 35.15 on Antimicrobials.  Four members of our staff, including myself as Subcommittee Co-Chair, serve on E 35.15.

As of the conclusion of our semiannual meeting last week, our Subcommittee has 96 members and is responsible for 45 approved methods, plus another 13 currently in the process of development.  In the interest of brevity, I will describe only two examples of the latter.

The first of special note is a modification of E 1174, the ASTM version of the FDA method specified for testing of handwash products intended for use in healthcare. The modification involves the procedure for contaminating the hands with Serratia marcescens, the indicator bacterium used to challenge product antimicrobial efficacy, and is particularly important in that the new method will be much more appropriate for testing leave-on (non-water-aided) hand sanitizers.

Another method-in-the-making is one for testing liquid microbicides versus bacterial biofilms, organized assemblages that are considerably more resistant to antibiotics, topical antimicrobials, and disinfectants than are planktonic (free-floating) bacteria.  Only in the last decade, or so, has the important role that biofilms play in disease causation and environmental fouling been understood, and colleagues from the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University here in Bozeman have been in the forefront of methods development in E 35.15.

Although I have selected for comment only these from among our many methods, I would welcome any questions you may have about testing of antimicrobial formulations and how the testing methods are created collaboratively by volunteers from industry, regulatory agencies, and CROs such as BioScience Laboratories.

– John Mitchell, Director of Quality Assurance and Chief Medical Officer

The U.S. media has given a lot of attention to H1N1 A Virus since the intial announced case in April 2009.  According to a recent article in the October issue of Infection Control Today, there are several mechanisms of transmission for influenza.  First of all, it comes through close contact between persons.  In several studies, close contact has been defined as three feet or closer.  Some studies say transmission can occur within six feet.

The mechanisms of transmission are:

1. Exposure to large respiratory droplets
2. Exposure to small-particle aerosols in the immediate vicinity
3. Direct contact transfer from contaminated hands to the nose and eyes

There is no proven evidence that shows one mechanism is more effectiven than the other.  Droplet transmission requires close contact and is generated by the infected person sneezing, coughing or talking.  Localized airborne transmission of influenza via small particles may occur in short distances (as much as 6 feet).   Influenza is not known to spread in airborne transmission of distances any longer than this, thus special air handling systems are not necessary to prevent the spread of influenza in healthcare settings.  Direct contact transmission of influenza has been suggested as a contributing factor in several studies.  It is therefore important to practice thorough and frequent handwashing as well as masks, gloves and gowns in a healthcare environment.

Are you practicing good techniques in your work place, in your home and in any place you come in contact with others to prevent transmission of the H1N1 A virus?  Does your employer have an H1N1 A virus prevention or response program should an outbreak occur in your company?

 – Jim Verzuh, Director of Marketing, BioScience Laboratories