Most Common Healthcare-
Associated Infections:
25 Bacteria, Viruses Causing HAIs
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H
ealthcare-associated infections continue to trouble the healthcare industry. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention estimates one in 20 patients will contract an HAI every day, and some estimates suggest the
economic burden of HAIs reaches $35.7 billion a year. Unfortunately for hospitals, they are a great breeding
ground for infections: A large number of of people — often with community-acquired infections — are grouped
together in close quarters with suppressed immune systems, leaving patients highly susceptible to infection.
However, patient safety networks and organizations focused on quality are banding together to improve infection
control and reduce the number of patients who contract these conditions.
Clostridium difficile, Staphylococcus aureus, norovirus, Escherichi coli. These are some of the better-known bacteria
and viruses responsible for HAIs, yet many others exists that healthcare providers should be aware of as they work to
eradicate these infections from their organizations.
The following is a comprehensive list of 25 of the most common bacteria and viruses causing HAIs:
Staphylococcus bacteria
