Clorox Healthcare is taking new strides in the battle against healthcare-associated infections, as its bleach germicidal disinfectants have received new US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered kill claims to disinfect against several bacteria and emerging viral pathogens. Furthermore, the two products were successful in reaching the recommended EPA efficacy threshold for killing Clostridium difficile spores in the presence of soil.
 
According to a press release, Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes are now EPA-registered to kill 58 microorganisms in three minutes or less and Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Cleaners are EPA-registered to kill 50 microorganisms in three minutes or less. Furthermore, the wipes and cleaners effectively eliminated the bacterial spores within a three-part soil load, as per interim guidance set by the EPA in 2014. In addition, the cleaners and wipes recently become EPA-registered to disinfect against other bacterial infections, such as those caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis, Candida glabrata, and Enterococcus hirae. Moreover, the products are also effective against several viral pathogens, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), measles, and Influenza A and B, among others.
 
Healthcare-associated infections can result in severe illness, and sometimes even death. One HAI that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared an “urgent threat” is C. difficile. The CDC reports that in the United States, on average, approximately 250,000 individuals are infected with C. difficile each year, and 14,000 die of infection, which is known to cause “life-threatening diarrhea.” C. difficile infections are associated with antibiotic use, and most often occur in patients during their hospital stay or shortly after release. Infection can be transmitted through fecal particles, or contaminated surfaces. In addition, C. difficile spores can live for prolonged periods of time in soil. Thus, properly disinfecting surfaces is extremely imperative as they may become contaminated regularly if the bacterium remains in soil.
 
An even more life-threatening infectious disease is MERS, which is caused by a coronavirus. Infection with MERS can cause “severe acute respiratory illness.” Furthermore, the CDC reports that out of every 10 patients with MERS, 3 to 4 die of infection. MERS can be transmitted from person to person through close personal contact, from those under the age of 1, to those over 90. Currently, there is neither a vaccine nor treatment for patients infected with MERS.
 
A similar HAI also caused by a coronavirus, is SARS. According to the CDC, in 2012, the National Select Agent Registry Program “declared SARS a select agent,” meaning that it has the capacity to “pose a severe threat to public health and safety.”
 
Commenting on the newly acquired EPA-registration, Lynda Lurie, director of marketing at Clorox Healthcare, said, “At Clorox Healthcare, we are dedicated to safeguarding patient environments and continuously strive to ensure our surface disinfectants meet the needs of the ever-changing healthcare environment. We made these changes proactively so that healthcare professionals can be prepared for whatever comes through their doors, wherever care is delivered.”