Hospitals and clinics must meet the highest level of sanitation while caring for sensitive populations, and one of the biggest challenges is to make sure that facilities are pest free. In fact, parasites like mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, pose a number of health threats through the spread of bacteria and contamination of surfaces, medical supplies and equipment.
Bedrooms and common areas :
- The constant flux of patients, employees, staff and visitors offers many opportunities for the introduction of bed bugs. Hospitals care for large numbers of people who may be immobilized for one reason or another, and often for days at a time. This creates an ideal situation for bed bugs to flourish in their bedding. As bedding is changed, bed bugs can drop off and spread throughout the hospital causing widespread infestations quite quickly.
- Although bedbugs are not considered vectors of disease, their bites can leave itchy, red welts and their presence can cause anxiety and sleeplessness. In some cases, patients also can experience a secondary infection caused by scratching at the bites and causing skin trauma, allowing for a port of entry for infection.
Operating rooms, kitchen and canteen areas
- Cockroaches spread nearly 33 different kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens. They carry bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella on their bodies, which not only contaminate food, cooking equipment and food preparation surfaces, but also compromise the sterile environment of operating rooms and the cleanliness of exam rooms and patient rooms. They also are responsible for increasing the severity of asthma and indoor allergy symptoms.
- Ants can contaminate food and food surfaces.In particular, the pharaoh ants can spread more than a dozen disease pathogens including Salmonella and Streptococcus pyogenes and are problematic because of their attraction to intravenous units, medical preparations and open wounds.
- Flies can easily enter kitchens and eating areas through doors and windows and are a sign of uncleanliness.
Outdoor areas :
The tropical climate create perfect breeding conditions for pests.
- Mosquitoes are the most common issue outside and pose a risk to patients and employees of such viruses as Dengue and Zika.
- Cockroaches and flies often thrive in the immediate surroundings : around waste sites and drainage systems. Living in these unsanitary areas means these pests pick up bacteria and disease, which they can then carry into your facilities.
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