Infection control benefits everyone.
Infection control prevents the spread of disease in healthcare settings. Following simple, evidence-based practices protects you, your patients and your community.
Stay up to date on best practices. Check out the resources below. We also offer:
- Help with communicable disease and reporting questions.
- Help with outbreak investigation and control.
- Visits from Public Health Consultants who provide public health information and updates.
When transferring a patient, hospitals and long-term care facilities must complete the
Inter-Facility Infection Prevention and Safety Form.
Precautions
- Infection Control Guidelines.
- Standard precautions for all patient care, CDC.
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Basics, CDC
Injection safety
- Safe Injection Practices to Prevent Transmission of Infections to Patients, CDC.
- Preventing Unsafe Injection Practices, CDC.
- Injection Safety Resources for Providers, CDC.
Hand hygiene
Personal protective equipment
Environmental Cleaning
- Quick reference: How to clean equipment and surfaces, when to clean, what to use.
- Disinfection and sterilization guideline, CDC.
Other resources
- Infection control resources and links.
- Controlling norovirus.
- Influenza information.
- Healthcare-associated infections, CDC.
- Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.
- epiTrends, DOH.
Patient materials
Infection Control News
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07/01/25 Health Advisory: Screening guidance for Candida auris in light of new local cases
Summary: Upgrade screening and preparation for Candida auris. Two facilities in Seattle have known transmission of Candida auris (C. auris). We have limited information about how much transmission is occurring in Washington. We recommend that you: Early screening is critical for rapid identification so you can quickly implement infection control measures and prevent spread at your facility. Background As of…
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Hand Hygiene In Healthcare Settings
What is hand hygiene? Hand hygiene refers to the use of hand washing with soap and water or alcohol hand sanitizer (60% alcohol or greater) in order to reduce infection rates, reduce transmission of antimicrobial resistant organisms and stop outbreaks of communicable disease. Why is hand hygiene important? When should I use hand hygiene? How…
