PRNewswire
NEW YORK, Oct. 31 — A recent outbreak of MRSA (Methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria, often referred to as “the superbug,” should cause organizations and facilities nationwide to reevaluate and redouble their infection control efforts.
The superbug is resistant to common antibiotics. It manifests its symptoms as skin infections such as abscesses, boils and other pus-filled lesions. Superbug infections prior to 2007 were most frequently found in hospital and healthcare facilities (nosocomial infections) and were referred to as HAIs (Hospital Acquired Infections). However, recent outbreaks are being categorized as Community-Assisted (CA)-MRSA infections, which occur in otherwise healthy people who have not been hospitalized or had a medical procedure within the past year. Workout facilities, school gymnasiums, manufacturing facilities and even office buildings have all been affected, requiring the immediate decontamination and disinfection of affected areas.
LVI Services Inc. specializes in infection control (http://www.lviservices.com/SERVICE/infection.asp) and has recently completed several successful superbug emergency response cleanups, which involved neutralizing and reducing the potential for transmission of infectious agents. LVI’s means and methods of remediation include infection control containments, negative air pressure, and materials and processes that destroy and remove the bacteria.
“Our technicians determine potential areas of MRSA contamination and isolate and restrict the areas as a first order of business,” said Al Draper, director of restoration for New York City-based LVI Services. “Our focus is on tackling infected sites to contain and destroy these bacteria and keep people safe and healthy.”
The superbug scare has reinforced the urgency for proper infection control procedures in healthcare settings - a first line of defense against MRSA-type infections reaching the general public. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the superbug caused more than 94,000 life-threatening infections and nearly 19,000 deaths in the United States in 2005, most of them associated with healthcare settings.
LVI’s infection control capabilities are employed in a range of facility- based services on a national scale. LVI works in concert with healthcare facility administrators and general contractors to design and implement engineering controls and physical barriers to prevent airborne contaminants from escaping work zones. These measures reduce the potential for the inadvertent cross-contamination of patient treatment areas.
About LVI Services
LVI Services Inc. is the United States’ leading provider of a wide array of integrated facility services, including environmental remediation, demolition and related services for commercial, industrial, multi-family residential and governmental facilities. LVI focuses on projects involving asbestos, lead paint, mold, infection control, hazardous materials, emergency and disaster services, and demolition. Founded in 1986, LVI has more than 30 offices across the United States, is licensed in every state, and is experienced in responding to natural and manmade disasters around the world. The company’s annual revenues exceed $300 million. For more information, visit http://www.lviservices.com/.
Source: LVI Services Inc.
Contact
Burton T. Fried of LVI Services, +1-203-222-0584
bfried@lviservices.com
Web site: http://www.lviservices.com/