Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology November 2008 , vol . 29 , no . 11 Contamination of Hospital Curtains With Healthcare-Associated Pathogens

In a culture survey, we found that 42% of hospital privacy curtains were contaminated with vancomycin-resistant enterococci, 22% with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and 4% with Clostridium difficile. Hand imprint cultures demonstrated that these pathogens were easily acquired on hands. Hospital curtains are a potential source for dissemination of healthcare-associated pathogens.

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