Biohazard News: E.Coli Can Be More Than Just a Stomach Ache

As a biohazard cleanup company, we endeavor to keep ourselves educated on the threats posed by biohazards, especially bacteria.  A large portion of our jobs involve clean-up from bacteria such as hepatitis.  And we endeavor to keep our clients and followers up to date on the news relative to our industry in this area.  That’s why when we recently came across this article regarding a woman infected with e. coli, we wanted to share it with you.

The CDC classifies the bacteria e.coli as a Level I substance.  Biohazards in this category are not considered as posing a severe danger to human life, and it’s generally accepted that most who come in contact with e. coli will suffer a nasty bout with diarrhea and vomiting.  But the reality is that people die from e.coli infections.  Most of the victims are those whose health is otherwise fragile, such as the elderly, infants, and those with substantially compromised immune systems.  The diarrhea becomes bloody and anemia sets in.  But that’s not the worst of it.

photo credit: The New York Times

One side effect of e.coli is known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, which causes the kidneys to fail, resulting in dangerously high blood pressure and excessive fluid build-up in the body.  There is no known cure, only supportive treatment that can include dialysis and transfusions.

Currently there is major concern with e.coli outbreaks in various parts of the country.  These seem to be associated with precut romaine lettuce.  These occur periodically, and precut or prewashed leafy greens tainted with e.coli are often the source.

What can result?  Please read this article detailing the journey of an otherwise healthy young woman in her 20s who it is suspected contracted e.coli from arugula purchased from a local farmers’ market.  (Her father also consumed the argula and tested positive for an e.coli infection, but he did not become ill.  It is unknown at this point why some people develop severe illnesses and others do not.)

Biohazards are just that – hazards, even the ones classified as low-level risks.  There is some evidence that pre-cut and pre-washed produce is especially susceptible to contamination with the e. coli bacteria, and it is our recommendation that you avoid purchasing it.  Be aware that in order to develop an e. coli infection you must ingest the bacteria, so contact is required.  It is NOT an airborne threat.  Can you eliminate the threat by washing your produce?  Consumer Reports says it is inadequate.

Don’t take chances when faced with biohazard exposure.  Keep yourself educated as to the dangers and how to avoid them – and leave cleanup to the professionals like our company. 

 

 

 

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Hot Air Hand Dryers: Convenience or Health Threat?

You’ve probably used a hot air hand dryer recently, because they are becoming the norm in public restrooms.  They’ve been around for decades – in bathrooms everywhere from schools to restaurants to gas stations to shopping malls.

The reason?  They’re convenient, and in the long run they are less expensive. There are no paper towels to continually restock, there is no trash to dispose of, and restroom cleanup is simplified – no loose paper towels everywhere to be picked up.

But they also pose a severe health risk, in at least two categories:

  • The blowing air distributes any bacteria on your hands into the air, to be breathed by others or deposited on their skin
  • But what’s worse, that dryer is sucking the bacteria in the air released when toilets are flushed, and then spreading it on your hands
  • If a parent has recently used the diaper changing table that’s present in most public restrooms, those germs are being spewed about as well

Harvard Medical School recently published the results of a joint study by researchers at the University of Connecticut and Quinnipiac University.  Here’s an excerpt:

Petri dishes exposed to bathroom air for two minutes with the hand dryers off only grew one colony of bacteria, or none at all. However, petri dishes exposed to hot air from a bathroom hand dryer for 30 seconds grew up to 254 colonies of bacteria (though most had from 18 to 60 colonies of bacteria). The Bacterial Horror of Hot Air Hand Dryers(Source: Harvard Health Publishing, “.”)

To protect yourself it’s best to avoid those air hand dryers. But it’s important to dry your hands as well. You may want to start carrying paper towels when you use a public facility and skip that germ-blowing hot air.  As a company that specializes in biohazard cleanup, we know how dangerous airborne germs can be.

 

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What Is Involved In a Typical Hoarder House Cleanup?

Are you facing cleanup from a hoarder? Most of us have areas of our homes that despite our best efforts to keep things neat and tidy just aren’t.  There is a reason that the ‘junk drawer’ is a long-standing joke. But there are those whose difficulty keeping a clean home are far greater, and those people are referred to as hoarders.  These situations are sad, because the individuals involved are suffering from debilitating mental illnesses such as anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

One of the services our company provides is cleanup of a place where a hoarder has lived (and maybe still lives). Perhaps you own rental property that has been occupied by one of these individuals, or maybe someone in your family is affected by this and the cleanup is more than you can (or should) handle.

Cleanup in a hoarding situation is best left to professional biohazard cleaning firms like ours, for a variety of reasons.

  • If the hoarder is a relative or friend, the emotional stress of dealing with the cleanup can take its toll on you
  • The work involved can be physically demanding
  • There are most likely biohazards involved that you don’t know how to properly deal with and that could have health and safety consequences.

What is a typical hoarder cleanup like?  First, there is no ‘typical,’ although most situations have common issues.  The basic issue is an accumulation of items, usually worthless, although at times there may be valuable gems in those piles of what most would refer to as trash.

We’ve come into houses where the resident kept every magazine and newspaper they ever received.  Others might be cluttered with worthless decorative items.  But some are far worse. One apartment we saw recently contained thousands of pizza boxes and piles of empty beer cans that obscured the floors and covered the furniture.  Of course, maggots and cockroaches were everywhere. And many hoarders also have an unusual number of cats or dogs, which present their own biohazard problems.

Some houses may be contaminated with biohazards such as parasites or mold (or worse), and others may actually have structural damage.

The first step in cleanup of any hoarding situation is to assess what’s involved, to take stock of what needs to be dealt with.  The next is to secure the property to provide for the safety of the individuals involved in cleanup. Those piles of old magazines on the floor in the hallway may actually conceal rotted floor boards. Or perhaps there are toxic chemicals present.  We take precautions with our hoarder cleanup crews to make sure they are safe on the job, and that involves the use of particle masks, respirators, and at times hazmat suits.

The next step is to formulate a plan. Restoration of the property will usually involve:

  • Removal and disposal of trash and damaged items (carpet tear-out is often involved)
  • Salvaging of items that may have value or can be sold
  • Actual cleaning of the property
  • Damage repair

If you are facing the daunting task of cleaning up after a hoarder, please don’t try to take on this job alone.  We’re here to help – and it’s one of our specialties.  We offer efficient, discreet and professional hoarding cleanup. Give us a call today to talk about your needs. We’re here to help, 24/7, every day of the year.  Talk to a real live person and not a recording – (877) 691-6706.

 

 

 

 

 

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Why Use a Professional for Blood Cleanup?

Blood stains are inevitable – they’re a part of life.  They begin in the delivery room the moment we’re born, and they often accompany our deaths. Moms deal with skinned knees and cut fingers on a continual basis, and those childhood boo-boos keep bandage makers in business.

But what about cleaning up when blood is present?

Blood can be one of the most difficult stains to get out.  But what we’re addressing in this article isn’t the routine blood stains you get at home; those you usually can safely deal with yourself.  But there are times that blood should NOT be handled by anyone other than a trained professional, because your own health could be at stake.  Situations include suicide, unattended death, or violent crime.  Yes, there is often a substantial amount of blood in these cases, but there are other reasons you should leave this type of cleanup to a company who specializes in dealing with biohazards and other types of specialized cleaning.

Why Leave Blood Cleanup to a Professional

  • Blood can carry disease or toxins you could not be aware of, even if it was from a close family member.  There are many blood-borne pathogens you could be exposing yourself to without knowing it.  The victim may have had a condition that even he or she didn’t know about.
  • Once blood has dried, disturbing it will cause it to flake off, and it can become airborne.  Inhaling those particles can be a health hazard as well. 
  • Most states and many local jurisdictions have protocols and regulations in place for dealing with blood clean-up from crime scenes, accidents, and trauma.  Unless you are a trained and certified cleanup company, you most likely are not aware of what is required.  When not done properly, a fine or other penalty could be the result.
  • This is a bit more practical. If you’re not used to cleaning up large amounts of blood – especially in carpeting or other fabrics – you could inadvertently make the stain worse. 
  • Bloodstains on carpet – other than small surface stains – often require removal and disposal of the carpet and possibly the underlying pad, because the carpet functions as a wick, drawing the blood below the surface of the carpet into the pad, and possibly into the floor itself. Any contaminants in the blood could be released in the future if the carpet becomes wet, such as in a future cleaning. 

So if you have property in the Pacific Northwest (or western Montana or Idaho) that has experienced a blood spill (other than a normal household accident), don’t expose yourself to hazards.  Please call us.  We have emergency response available, and each of our crews include a hazmat certified supervisor.  We’ll get that blood cleaned up safely and properly.

MedTech Cleaners has been providing haz-mat, biohazard, crime scene, and other trauma cleanup services in northern Oregon, Washington, western Montana and Idaho for nearly three decades. 

 

 

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The Basics of Biohazard Cleanup

One of our most important services is biohazard cleanup.  Biohazards often are present in other types of situations, such as crime scene or unattended death cleanup.  They’re not uncommon when we come in to deal with a home that’s been occupied by a hoarder.  More than just a messy job, biohazard cleanup can be a dangerous process if not done properly.  To understand why, it may be helpful to get a grasp on what a biohazard is.

Universal symbol for biohazard

What Is a Biohazard?

‘Biohazard’ is short for biological hazard.  Simply put, a biohazard is a biological substance (plant, animal, virus, bacteria or other living or once-living substance) that presents a health threat. The most common types are bodily fluids – blood, feces, saliva, urine, vomit. All these fluids might carry a toxic or health-threatening substance.

Now, you might wonder how these could be toxic.  After all, a parent deals with these fluids on a daily basis without a problem.  Yes, every time a mom or dad changes a dirty diaper, they’re confronting a biohazard.  But unless the child is infected with HIV or hepatitis or another dangerous bacteria or virus, the threat is minimal or nonexistent. But you’re probably aware that in hospitals and other public settings human waste is handled and disposed of very carefully because of potential health threats.

Here are some examples of common biohazards:

  • Medical waste
  • Human or animal bodily fluids (blood, saliva, semen, cerebrospinal fluids, vaginal fluids, and even amniotic fluid
  • Pathological waste (lab testing materials, biopsy samples, dissected tissue)
  • Human and animal waste (everything from decomposing body to excretory waste)
  • Medical ‘sharps’ – needles and sharp implements, including discarded drug needles
  • Bacteria, fungi, and viruses – including mold (especially black mold)
  • Parasites

There is some disagreement in the industry as to whether common ordinary mold (other than black mold) should be considered a biohazard, but as it is often accompanied by another type of biohazard such decomposing substances, we elect to handle it as if it is toxic and dangerous.  In fact, for those who have mold sensitivities or allergies, it IS a health threat.

Biohazards don’t all pose the same level of threat to human health or safety or to the environment.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) classifies biohazards in four levels:

  • Level 1:  Minimal threat. The e. coli bacteria is an example of a Level 1 biohazard.  You might get some unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects but rarely is it a life-threatening situation. Most molds are Level 1. Biohazards of these types can usually be handled without professional assistance.
  • Level 2: Can cause severe illness. Level 2 biohazards include salmonella, HIV and hepatitis, as well as some molds.  Level 1 and Level 2 require direct contact.
  • Level 3: If airborne, can cause a major health threat if inhaled. Level 3 pathogens include tuberculosis. This level is more dangerous than Level 1 or 2 substances because direct contact is not required – airborne substances can be inhaled without the victim having knowledge of their existence.
  • Level 4: Substances pose a severe threat to health.  Usually there is no known treatment or antidote for these substances, which include the Ebola virus.

When biohazards are present, proper steps must be taken to safely remove them, clean up the area, and properly dispose of the substance as well as remediating any threats. Our cleanup crews are trained in the safe and proper methods to remove and dispose of biohazards, particularly the ones which pose severe threats to health and safety, such as Level 2, Level 3 or Level 4.  And our staff is professional and discreet.  You can count on us to restore your property to a safe condition when biohazards are present. 

 

 

 

 

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