Dental Unit Waterlines              

Research has demonstrated that microbial counts can reach<200,000 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL within 5 days after installation of new dental unit waterlines (305), and levelsof microbial contamination <106 CFU/mL of dental unitwater have been documented (309,338). These counts can occur because dental unit waterline factors (e.g., system design,flow rates, and materials) promote both bacterial growth anddevelopment of biofilm.Click HEREfor more information including instructional resources and patient talking points.

Influenza              

Influenza (the "flu") is a respiratory infection caused by a number of viruses. The viruses pass through the air and enter your body through your nose or mouth. Between 5% and 20% of people in the US get the flu each year. The flu can be serious or even deadly for elderly people, newborn babies, and people with certain chronic illnesses. Click HERE to obtain more information and resources including patient talking points.

MERS                

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is an illness caused by a virus (more specifically, a coronavirus) called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). MERS affects the respiratory system (lungs and breathing tubes). Most MERS patients developed severe acute respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath. About 3-4 out of every 10 patients reported with MERS have died. Click HERE for more information including instructional resources and images.

Zika Virus               

Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito (A. aegypti and A. albopictus). These are the same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya viruses. No vaccine exists to prevent Zika virus disease. For more information,click HEREto access the OSAP Zika Virus Toolkit.

Boil Water Advisory

Safe drinking water is critical for home and business use including dental facilities around the world. In fact, safe water is one of the United NationsMillennium Development Goals.All public water systems in the US (supplying water to approximately 90% of the public) are required to follow the standards and regulations set by theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA operates in partnership with the states, tribes, water systems and their operators.CLICK HEREto access the OSAP Boil Water Advisory Toolkit.

More                 

For current information on other issues, click HERE to access OSAP's growing list of Issue Toolkits. Please note that OSAP members must be logged-in to have full access to all toolkits.