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Epidemiologist Dr. Mark Stibich Available to Discuss MERS & How to Prevent Its Spread
[May 05, 2014]

Epidemiologist Dr. Mark Stibich Available to Discuss MERS & How to Prevent Its Spread


SAN ANTONIO --(Business Wire)--

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently confirmed the first U.S. case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus has been reported in Indiana. As hospitals and healthcare facilities around the U.S. scramble to understand the virus and how to protect their patients, Xenex Disinfection Services "germ-zapping" robots are successfully being utilized to destroy the MERS virus as well as hundreds of other deadly pathogens that pose a threat to patient safety.

"As superbugs become increasingly drug resistant, it's imperative for healthcare facilities to prevent the infection from occurring in the first place, thereby greatly reducing the use of antibiotics. Eliminating microorganisms like MERS, C.diff and MRSA from the environment before they harm patients is what can and should be done - right now," said Dr. Mark Stibich, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Xenex. "This is already happening - and hospitals across the U.S. are reporting fewer infections after using pulsed xenon UV room disinfection robots to quickly destroy the deadly pathogens lurking in healthcare facilities."

Hospital cleanliness plays a role in the spread of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs), which are caused by microorganisms such as MERS, Clostridium difficile (C.diff), MRSA, Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and Acinetobacter baumannii.

Epidemiologist and Xenex co-founder Dr. Mark Stibich is available for media interviews to discuss MERS, how to prevent the spread of MERS and other viruses, how UV room disinfection works, what patients can do to protect themselves, and other issues related to infectious diseases and hospital acquired infections. As Chief Scientific Officer of Xenex, Dr. Stibich oversees scientific research, new technology and product development, facility assessments, and protocol design. He meets frequently with infection prevention representatives at healthcare facilities, helping them understand and solve their infection control challenges. Dr. Stibich holds a doctoral degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, a Masters in Health Science, also from Johns Hopkins, and a bachelor's degree from Yale University.



Contact Melinda Hart at 210 240 4669 or [email protected] for more information. Xenex epidemiologists are also available to consult with healthcare facilities about MERS and other dangerous microorganisms that pose a threat to patient safety, infection control best practices and processes, and epidemiology services for improved reimbursement (HCAHPS).

Solving a Global Health Crisis


Xenex's portable UV room disinfection system uses pulsed xenon ultraviolet light to quickly destroy the viruses, bacteria, mold, fungus and bacterial spores in the patient environment that cause HAIs. Uniquely designed for ease of use and portability, the germ-zapping robot is operated by hospital staff without disrupting hospital operations. With a five minute disinfection cycle, the device disinfects dozens of rooms per day, including patient rooms, operating rooms (ORs), equipment rooms, emergency rooms, intensive care units (ICUs) and public areas. The Xenex device contains no mercury and is the only "green" technology used in automated room disinfection.

Xenex's room disinfection system has been repeatedly proven effective against C.diff and MRSA in the laboratory and in patient outcome results at hospitals utilizing Xenex devices. Peer reviewed studies have proven that the Xenex technology is highly effective and approximately 200 hospitals and Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities in the U.S. are using the Xenex system. A study published in the American Journal of Infection Control (August 2013) reported that Cooley Dickinson Hospital (an affiliate of Massachusetts General Hospital) experienced a 53 percent decrease in the rate of hospital-acquired C.diff infections after implementing the Xenex system. A study published in Journal of Infection Prevention in 2013 reported that Cone Health experienced a 56 percent reduction in its rate of hospital acquired MRSA infections after implementing an infection prevention program that included Xenex's room disinfection system.

About Xenex Disinfection Services

Xenex's patented pulsed xenon UV room disinfection system is a pesticidal device used for the advanced cleaning of healthcare facilities. Due to its speed and ease of use, the Xenex system has proven to integrate smoothly into hospital cleaning operations. The Xenex mission is to eliminate harmful bacteria, viruses and spores that can cause hospital acquired infections in the patient environment, and to become the new standard method for disinfection in healthcare facilities worldwide. For more information, visit www.xenex.com.


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