Toilet Plume Aerosol Generation Rate and Environmental Contamination Following Bowl Water Inoculation with Clostridium difficile Spores

Details

• Personal Author:
  Aithinne KAN ; Cooper CW ; Johnson, Douglas L. ; Lynch RA
• Description:
  Introduction: Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of health care-associated gastric illness. Environmental contamination with C difficile spores is a risk factor for contact transmission, and toilet flushing causes such contamination. This work explores toilet contamination persistence and environmental contamination produced over a series of flushes after contamination. Methods: A flushometer toilet was seeded with C difficile spores in a sealed chamber. The toilet was flushed 24 times, with postflush bowl water samples and settle plates periodically collected for culturing and counting. Air samples were collected after each of 12 flushes using rotating plate impactors. Results: Spores were present in bowl water even after 24 flushes. Large droplet spore deposition accumulated over the 24-flush period. Droplet nuclei spore bioaerosol was produced over at least 12 flushes. Conclusions: Toilets contaminated with C difficile spores are a persistent source of environmental contamination over an extended number of flushes. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Digestive System Digestive System Diseases Environmental Pollution Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Aerosol Bacterial Infections Bioaerosols Clostridium Difficile Disease Transmission Environmental Contamination Gastrointestinal System Disorders Infection Control Microbial Contamination Plume Toilet

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• ISSN:
  0196-6553
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Oklahoma ; OSHA Region 6
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  47
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068680
• Citation:
  Am J Infect Control 2019 May; 47(5):515-520
• Contact Point Address:
  Kathleen A.N. Aithinne, MS, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, PO Box 26901, Rm 413, Oklahoma City, OK 73126
• Email:
  Kathleen-Aithinne@ouhsc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• Performing Organization:
  University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Infection Control
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8ef44f42e1496564e2b43088e967f3eba22ea86040c3e03a72ac0991e3289880af1ad200a72db5e0dea45a1dcd9245235e90a3c146618066b2c47fac7da16ff9
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/207270/cdc_207270_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1015.38 KB ]