In February 1777, General George Washington ordered the first mass immunization campaign in American history by mandating that his troops be inoculated against smallpox. He protected the Continental Army from an epidemic that was deadlier than British forces.
249 years later, we have this idiot.
Image of a set of gloved hands from a healthcare provider putting a band aid on a patient, indicating vaccination.
Report notes 3 European nations have reached 90% HPV vaccine uptake in girls.
Since 2020, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said all European countries have reported a decreased incidence of cervical cancer among vaccinated women.
Read more: ow.ly/Sg8m50YN9aS
“Year in Infection Control” papers #ESCMIDGlobal2026 talk by Nico Mutters
Papers highlighted included @jamanetworkopen.com study
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Wait !
Where?
PICC materials matter more than we think 👀
RCT (Australia, n=1098):
🔹 Highest infection risk in chlorhexidine-coated PICCs
🔹 Occlusion = most common failure
• 34% chlorhexidine vs 17% hydrophobic vs 14% standard
Not all “antimicrobial” strategies translate to better outcomes.
#ESCMIDGlobal2026
Gowns & respiratory viruses—nuance matters👀
🔹 HCW clothing contamination common; viruses persist
🔹 Limited protective effect (~29% studies)
🔹 Short-sleeve + good hygiene may be sufficient
Are gowns always necessary—or part of the problem?
#ESCMIDGlobal2026 #InfectionControl
Microplastics & AMR—an emerging concern 👀
🔹 Enhance E. coli biofilms & select for more resistant cells
🔹 Effects persist even after removal
🔹 May act as a catalyst—implications for biofilm infections & hospital sinks/drains
Environmental exposure may be driving AMR
#ESCMIDGlobal2026
Key IPC takeaways from #ESCMIDGlobal2026 👀
🔹 Quality > compliance (hand hygiene)
🔹 Gel Nail polish may not ↑ risk
🔹 PICCs: “antimicrobial” ≠ better
🔹 Gowns: limited added value
🔹 PPE ↓ possible without ↑ infections
🔹 Microplastics → emerging AMR risk
Data should drive practice.
Hat tip to Emilie Eriksen, A MEDICAL STUDENT, presenting a cloning-censoring-and-weighting analysis at #ESCMIDGlobal2026
When I was at medical school, I was still busy making pie charts, etc
#ESCMIDGlobal2026
Irrelevant but I was wondering when was the last time you saw a cellphone like this.
And how come this icon is still effective to convey the message.
And so it begins
#ESCMIDGlobal2026
An Outbreak of Myocarditis and Asymptomatic Troponinemia in Children Following Parvovirus B19 Infections in Northern Greece and a Scoping Review
Kavga, Maria et al.
journals.lww.com/pidj/fulltext/2026/05000...
#PIDJ #EditorsPick #PedsID
In Memoriam: John D. Nelson
journals.lww.com/pidj/fulltext/2026/05000...
#PIDJ #EditorsPick #PedsID
Influenza C Virus in Children With Acute Bronchiolitis and Febrile Seizures
Jevšnik Virant, Monika et al.
journals.lww.com/pidj/fulltext/2026/05000...
#PIDJ #EditorsPick #PedsID
📅 PentaTr@ining 2026 HIV & other Congenital Infections
🗓 April 30th- May 3rd, 2026
📍 Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, Tbilisi, Georgia
https://www.espid.org/events.aspx?Group=dates
#ESPID #PedsID
📅 EAP 2026 Annual Paediatric Forum & Mastercourse
🗓 April 30th- May 3rd, 2026
📍 Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, Tbilisi, Georgia
https://www.espid.org/events.aspx?Group=dates
#ESPID #PedsID
Influenza-associated Neurologic Complications in Children: Insights From a Single-center Study in Oman
journals.lww.com/pidj/fulltext/2026/04000...
Invasive Pneumococcal Disease at Eight Children’s Hospitals in the United States, 2018–2023
journals.lww.com/pidj/fulltext/2026/04000...
Optimizing Gentamicin Dosing in Pediatric Oncology Patients
journals.lww.com/pidj/fulltext/2026/04000...
Diagnostic Value of Cerebrospinal Fluid Metagenomics Next-generation Sequencing in Neurobrucellosis in Children: Erratum
journals.lww.com/pidj/fulltext/2026/04000...
13 cases of infant botulism tied to tainted baby formula
Infants in 10 states have been sickened, and all required hospitalization.
www.cidrap.umn.edu/b...
If you are a hcw that would like to deploy and implement this training tool at your environment, you now have the opportunity to exclusively test it
Available in Greek,Italian,Spanish and English
Join our expansion phase:
Join #TeamCOACH
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
#TeamCOACH an EU co-funded training platform for pediatric AMS/IPC in primary care and hospital settings held it's annual meeting in Padova, Italy.
This online training with 18 modules can be your solution for training at your environment.
Do you want to implement it at your environment?
Read on
It has been a whirl since I posted here
Let's catch up with what has been going on...
missed the photo =\
but didn't miss the meeting.
Next year =)
Are you a UK-based PhD student passionate about #AMR and infectious disease policy? Do you have an interest in public health, environmental health, or the intersection of animal and human health? Applications for BSAC's Parliamentary Internship Programme. Please help us spread the word!
Excited for our MTE session at #ESPID2025
Why is Infection Prevention and Control so important for pediatric infectious diseases? Is HAI prevention the game changer for AMR? Practical ways for your hospital.
Join me with Prof Jesus Saavedra and Prof Zoi Pana
ROSETTI hall Wed May 28 7:30 am
Excited for our early MTE session at #ESPID2025 Why is planetary health so important for pediatric infectious diseases and practical ways you and your hospital can contribute to a better health for our planet. Wed May 28 7:30 EET Iorga hall
What is ESPID 2025? invt.io/1bxb0689yri
