Guidance & Regulation Updates

2025 NHSN Antimicrobial Use and Resistance (AUR) Updates for the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program: As noted in the CMS FY 2025 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System/Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System final rule (89 FR 69600 through 69605), for the 2025 Electronic Health Record reporting period, the AUR Surveillance measure has been split into two measures: Antimicrobial Use (AU) Surveillance and Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) Surveillance. The NHSN AUR Team has updated its resources to reflect this change and address common questions.   CMS Operational Guidance for Acute Care Hospitals to Report AUR Data  FAQs: AUR Reporting for the CMS Promoting Interoperability […]

Contains key tools and evidence-based strategies including core components of a CAUTI prevention program and an algorithm of alternatives to urinary catheters 

Provides updates on COVID-19 disease reporting and control regulations related to a variance the State Health Commissioner recently signed. Physicians, persons in charge of medical care facilities, and local health directors are no longer required to report suspected or confirmed individual cases of COVID-19. Directors of laboratories are still required to report, and all suspected or confirmed outbreaks must still be reported.

Stresses importance of staying alert for measles given recent exposure events and other ongoing measles outbreaks in the United States. Reviews CDC guidance for preventing and controlling measles in healthcare settings including vaccine recommendations. See the CDC measles Health Advisory for more reminders about measles.

Emphasizes that healthcare professionals and travelers should ensure compliance with MMR vaccination guidelines to mitigate the risk of measles, especially among individuals traveling to areas with known outbreaks. Details best practices for monitoring, diagnosing, and managing measles cases while underscoring the current low risk of widespread measles in the U.S. due to strong immunization efforts.

Shares CDC recommendations for clinicians (see Ebola Health Advisory for more details) Reminds clinicians to immediately contact the local health department to report any patient with compatible signs and symptoms of Sudan virus disease and an epidemiologic risk factor.

Review CDC's recommendations for U.S. public health departments and clinicians about case identification, testing, and biosafety considerations in clinical laboratories. As a precaution and because there are other viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in East Africa, CDC is sharing best practices to raise awareness about this outbreak.

Avian influenza A(H5) has not been detected in people or dairy cattle in Virginia. It has recently been detected in Virginia in wild birds, commercial poultry, and in birds housed in a zoo collection. These detections are not unexpected, as avian influenza A(H5) virus is currently widely circulating in the environment. The risk from avian influenza viruses to the public remains low. People with job-related or recreational exposure to birds or other avian influenza virus-infected animals are at greater risk of infection. Clinicians should consider the possibility of avian influenza virus infection in persons showing signs or symptoms of acute […]

To prevent delays in identifying human infections with avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses, especially during periods of high seasonal influenza activity, the CDC recommends a shortened timeline for subtyping all influenza A specimens from hospitalized patients. This measure will support optimal patient care, infection control, and case investigation. Clinicians and laboratory staff are urged to test for influenza in patients with suspected influenza and to prioritize the rapid subtyping of influenza A-positive specimens, particularly those from patients in intensive care units. Additionally, clinical laboratories should increase efforts to identify non-seasonal influenza strains.

During the November meeting, the workgroup presented responses to the committee for the draft Guidelines for Isolation Precautions and Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel. HICPAC voted and approved the responses.