TABLE 50.1.
Nosocomial Pathogens and Environmental Contamination
| Pathogen | Types of Environmental Contamination | Organism Survival Time |
|---|---|---|
| Influenza virus | Aerosolization after cleaning; fomites | 24–48 hours on nonporous surfaces |
| Parainfluenza virus | Clothes and nonporous surfaces | 10 hours on nonporous surfaces; 6 hours on clothes |
| Norovirus | Extensive environmental contamination, possible aerosolization | ≤14 days on fecal specimens, ≤12 days on carpets |
| Hepatitis B virus | Environmental contamination with blood | 7 days |
| Coronavirus-SARS | Possible results from emergency department specimens; super-spreading events | 24–72 hours on fomites and fecal specimens |
| Candida | Fomite contamination | 3 days for Candida albicans and 14 days for Candida parapsilosis |
| Clostridium difficile | Extensive environmental contamination | 5 months on hospital floors |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Drain sink contamination | 7 hours on glass slides |
| Acinetobacter baumannii | Extensive environmental contamination | 33 hours on laminated plastic surfaces |
| MRSA | Extensively contaminated burn units | ≤9 weeks after drying; 2 days on laminated plastic surfaces |
| VRE | Extensive environmental contamination | ≤58 days on working surfaces |
MRSA, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome; VRE, vancomycin-resistant enterococci.
Modified from Hota B. Contamination, disinfection, and cross-colonization: are hospital surfaces reservoirs for nosocomial infection? Clin Infect Dis. 2004;39(8):1182–1189.