Skip to content
  • Publications
  • Training
  • FAQs
  • M&E Dashboard
  • Vacancies
Menu
  • Publications
  • Training
  • FAQs
  • M&E Dashboard
  • Vacancies
Contact
  • COVID-19
    • SARS-COV-2 Rapid Test Reporting
    • TrakCare Lab Webview
    • COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
    • COVID-19 Returning to Work FAQs
    • COVID-19 Surveillance Reports
    • COVID-19 Vaccine
    • Variant Tracking in South Africa
    • COVID-19 Technical Resources
    • COVID-19 Guidelines
    • COVID-19 Advice for The Public
    • COVID-19 Prevention
    • COVID-19 Advice for Travellers
    • Long COVID
    • COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Cases Frequently Asked Questions
    • COVID-19 Resources for Children
    • COVID-19 Communication Resources
    • COVID-19 Contact Resources
  • About Us
    • Overview
    • Our Objectives
    • Management
    • Our Partners
    • Data protection and privacy policy
  • Centres
    • Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases
    • Centre for Enteric Diseases
    • Centre for Healthcare-Associated Infections, Antimicrobial Resistance and Mycoses
    • Centre for HIV and STIs
    • Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis
    • Centre for Tuberculosis
    • Centre for Vaccines and Immunology
    • Division of Public Health, Surveillance and Response
    • National Cancer Registry
      • Cancer Statistics
    • Transversal Functions
  • Our Services
    • Surveillance
    • Training
    • Outbreak Response
    • Research
    • Proficiency Testing Schemes
    • Diagnostic Services
  • Notifiable Medical Conditions
    • Overview
    • Notification Process
    • Tutorial Videos
    • Notification Forms
    • NMC COVID-19 Documents
    • Contacts
  • Media
    • Alerts
    • News
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Blogs
Menu
  • COVID-19
    • SARS-COV-2 Rapid Test Reporting
    • TrakCare Lab Webview
    • COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
    • COVID-19 Returning to Work FAQs
    • COVID-19 Surveillance Reports
    • COVID-19 Vaccine
    • Variant Tracking in South Africa
    • COVID-19 Technical Resources
    • COVID-19 Guidelines
    • COVID-19 Advice for The Public
    • COVID-19 Prevention
    • COVID-19 Advice for Travellers
    • Long COVID
    • COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Cases Frequently Asked Questions
    • COVID-19 Resources for Children
    • COVID-19 Communication Resources
    • COVID-19 Contact Resources
  • About Us
    • Overview
    • Our Objectives
    • Management
    • Our Partners
    • Data protection and privacy policy
  • Centres
    • Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases
    • Centre for Enteric Diseases
    • Centre for Healthcare-Associated Infections, Antimicrobial Resistance and Mycoses
    • Centre for HIV and STIs
    • Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis
    • Centre for Tuberculosis
    • Centre for Vaccines and Immunology
    • Division of Public Health, Surveillance and Response
    • National Cancer Registry
      • Cancer Statistics
    • Transversal Functions
  • Our Services
    • Surveillance
    • Training
    • Outbreak Response
    • Research
    • Proficiency Testing Schemes
    • Diagnostic Services
  • Notifiable Medical Conditions
    • Overview
    • Notification Process
    • Tutorial Videos
    • Notification Forms
    • NMC COVID-19 Documents
    • Contacts
  • Media
    • Alerts
    • News
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Blogs
Search
Close
Search
Close
  • OVERVIEW
  • OUR OBJECTIVES
  • MANAGEMENT
  • OUR PARTNERS
  • DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY POLICY
Menu
  • OVERVIEW
  • OUR OBJECTIVES
  • MANAGEMENT
  • OUR PARTNERS
  • DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY POLICY

Hospital infection outbreaks

Diseases A-Z Index Hospital infection outbreaks

Diseases A-Z Index:
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • W
  • V
  • X
  • Y
  • Z

What are hospital infection outbreaks?

The definition of a healthcare-acquired-infection (HAI) is clinically-evident infection 48 hours after the admission to the healthcare facility. HAIs are the leading causes of illness and death amongst hospitalised patients. A growing number of patients admitted to acute care hospitals acquire one of more HAIs during their stay. Outbreaks of HAIs are possibly more frequent than are identified and/or reported. An outbreak may be defined as an increase in the occurrence of a disease by reference to a recorded baseline rate – although, in practice, timely notification of a possible outbreak often relies on the past experience of clinical and laboratory staff, and on them being alert to the condition of individual patients. Every hospital needs to establish its baseline HAI incidence so that it can identify unusual levels, action thresholds or outbreaks when they occur.

An outbreak may also be identified by cases of infection that are clearly associated by time, place and person. Person may be represented by the same ward type, attending clinical staff or patient demographic. Although outbreaks represent only a small percentage of cases of infection acquired in hospital, any major increase in cases is evidence that an infection has begun to spread and is beginning to pose a possible serious threat to other patients and staff.

Hospitals need to have plans to deal with outbreaks of HAIs. The infection control practitioners in the hospital should be closely involved in drawing up and approving these plans that should form part of the facility’s comprehensive infection prevention and control (IPC) programme. The infection control team must have access to managers and medical and nursing staff who have the authority to take the actions necessary to contain the outbreak. Key elements in prevention of HAIs are implementation of bundles. Regular but ad hoc IPC audits utilizing the National Department of Health’s tool developed from the National Infection Prevention and Control Policy & Strategy (2013).

Useful links to other resources:

  • INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL PROGRAMMES

  • MANAGING OUTBREAKS OF HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTION

  • HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS – FACTSHEET / FAQs

  • PREVENTION OF HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS

  • HEALTHCARE-ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS (CDC) 

Share

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube

Quick Links

  • M&E Dashboard
  • Publications
  • Vacancies
  • Researcher Directory
  • Terms and Conditions

Download NMC

  • Android App
  • Huawei App
  • Web Portal
  • Apple App

Connect with our Researchers

Contact Us

© NICD 2021. All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer: The National Institute for Communicable Diseases does not provide Medical Advice to the public. For Medical Advice, please consult your Healthcare provider.