International hygiene organization showcases collaboration with the college
The International Scientific Forum for Home Hygiene recently recognized two achievements connected with the college’s Environment, Exposure Science and Risk Assessment Center: a new study on viral transmission in public spaces, and the launch of a Pan-American hygiene partnership.
The International Scientific Forum for Home Hygiene (IFH) recently recognized two achievements from the college’s Environment, Exposure Science and Risk Assessment Center (ESRAC). The first is a new study on viral transmission in a hotel lobby that provides a model to measure the impact of targeted hygiene interventions in public spaces. The second celebrates the launch of the Pan-American Targeted Hygiene (IFH-PATH) website, created by ESRAC in collaboration with IFH, now found at https://ifhpath.arizona.edu.
First, the IFH Newsletter features research led by Dr. Kelly Reynolds, published in a paper titled Quantifying fomite hotspots and targeted hygiene impacts in a hotel lobby about the use of Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) to estimate the impact of Targeted Hygiene on viral infection transmission. This study employs QMRA to model how targeted hygiene interventions, such as disinfecting high-touch surfaces, can significantly reduce viral transmission in public settings. The research found that targeted cleaning reduced viral concentrations by over 97%, and estimated a 97% reduction in infection risk from harmful viruses like rhinovirus and rotavirus. This marks a breakthrough in integrating real-world behavior, viral tracer data, and QMRA to inform hygiene policy. The study was featured in the IFH’s May Newsletter.
The second highlight is the launch of IFH Pan-American Targeted Hygiene (IFH-PATH) website, a new division of IFH created in partnership with UA-ESRAC. IFH-PATH aims to expand IFH’s reach across North and South America by offering multilingual resources and culturally tailored hygiene messaging. Its mission is to promote effective, sustainable hygiene practices and improve public understanding of when and how to engage in hygiene behaviors.
See both highlights in the IFH May Newsletter: https://ifh-homehygiene.org/newsletter/ifh-newsletter-may-2025-application-of-qmra-to-targeted-hygiene/