title: Efficacy of an automated ultraviolet C device in a shared hospital bathroom.
abstract: Toilet flushing can contribute to disease transmission by generating aerosolized bacteria and viruses that can land on nearby surfaces or follow air currents. Aerobic and anaerobic bacterial bioaerosol loads, and bacterial counts on 2 surfaces in a bathroom with a permanently installed, automated ultraviolet C (UVC) irradiation device, were significantly lower than in a comparable bathroom without the UVC device. Permanently installed UVC lights may be a useful supplementary decontamination tool in shared patient bathrooms.
authors: School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Electronic address: jessejcooper@gmail.com.
authors: Jesse
authors: J
authors: Cooper
authors: Division of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Bryce
authors: School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Astrakianakis
authors: Division of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors: Aleksandra
authors: A
authors: Stefanovic
authors: School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Bartlett
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000391:Air Microbiology; D001331:Automation; D004203:Disinfection / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D014038:Toilet Facilities; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols
keywords: Ultraviolet C; bathroom; bioaerosol; contact surface; environmental cleaning; toilet plume