Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 17th September 2026 Issue no. 1226
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Hydrachem’s solution to 54% rise in hospital-onset MRSA rate
Disinfection specialist Hydrachem is calling for greater focus on the consistency and measurement of environmental cleaning following a sharp rise in the UK hospital-onset MRSA bacteraemia rate.
The latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show that the incidence rate of MRSA bacteraemia reached 2.1 cases per 100,000 population in January to March 2026, the highest rate recorded since April to June 2011.
The incidence rate of hospital-onset MRSA bacteraemia increased by 54.4% year-on-year, rising from 0.9 to 1.4 cases per 100,000 bed-days. Over the same period, the proportion of MRSA bacteraemia cases classified as hospital-onset healthcare-associated increased from 30.3% to 39.7%.
The rise can reflect a combination of factors, including staffing levels, bed occupancy, patient vulnerability and antimicrobial use. Environmental hygiene is one part of this wider picture, but is an area where healthcare providers can take practical steps to reduce the risk of transmission.
“A rise of more than 50% in the hospital-onset MRSA bacteraemia rate should prompt healthcare providers to look closely at how consistently infection-prevention measures are being implemented,” says Hydrachem’s Nicholas Barbieri.
“Environmental cleaning is an important part of that picture. The focus shouldn't simply be on cleaning more often, but on making sure cleaning is being carried out effectively, consistently and to a defined standard.
“Clear cleaning protocols, appropriate disinfectants, properly trained staff and regular auditing with tools such as fluorescent or UV marker testing can help healthcare teams identify where cleaning performance can be improved.”
For Hydrachem, the figures reinforce the need to view environmental cleaning as an integral part of infection prevention and control, rather than simply a housekeeping function.
“With antimicrobial resistance continuing to make infections harder to treat, prevention has never been more important,” adds Nicholas. “The answer isn't necessarily to clean more. It’s to clean better, with consistent standards, effective products, trained staff and robust procedures, backed up by measurement.
“Every infection that can be prevented reduces pressure on patients, healthcare teams and already-stretched antibiotic resources.”
17th September 2026