September 11, 2026

CDC consolidated its recommendations for managing healthcare personnel exposed to or infected with COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and other respiratory viruses. Exposed asymptomatic personnel generally do not require work restriction, while symptomatic or infected personnel may return after specified clinical and time-based criteria are met.

Many healthcare facilities still use separate pathogen-specific work-restriction policies. Employee and occupational health procedures should be reviewed for CDC’s updated exposure monitoring, return-to-work, and post-return source-control recommendations.

September 10, 2026

On September 10, 2026, CDC issued Health Advisory HAN-00533 after nationwide increases in human rabies exposures and errors administering rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but it is preventable when post-exposure treatment is given correctly and promptly. Increased exposures and administration errors make accurate risk assessment, wound care, immune globulin administration, and vaccine scheduling especially important. Getting it right protects patients, prevents unnecessary treatment, and avoids costs that can reach $11,000–$14,000 per person.

August 11, 2026

CDC HAN-00532 warns that patients receiving B-cell–depleting or B-cell–modulating therapies—particularly anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies—may develop severe, prolonged, or atypical arboviral neuroinvasive disease. Because these patients may not produce detectable antibodies, CDC recommends considering molecular testing when infection is suspected.

Negative arboviral serology may not exclude infection in patients receiving B-cell–depleting therapies. Clinicians and laboratories should review medication histories, testing algorithms, specimen selection, and public-health consultation procedures for immunocompromised patients with unexplained febrile or neurologic illness.

August 5, 2026

CDC introduced CaseTrace, a free browser-based tool that helps infection preventionists and outbreak investigators visualize patient movement, overlapping stays, clinical events, and test results during healthcare-associated infection investigations. CDC updated the tool’s information and supporting resources on September 9, 2026.

CaseTrace can help facilities recognize possible transmission opportunities that may be difficult to see in traditional line lists. Facilities must de-identify information before uploading it and should never enter personally identifiable or controlled information.

July 13, 2026

CDC published an updated resource highlighting the 2022 SHEA/IDSA/APIC Compendium and its practical strategies for preventing healthcare-associated infections. The resource brings together evidence-based recommendations to strengthen hospital infection prevention programs and reduce HAIs.

This gives IP teams a consolidated way to review current HAI-prevention strategies and compare them with existing hospital practices, policies, bundles, and education.

January 7, 2026

CDC published 2025-2026 influenza season information, including vaccine composition and vaccine supply. U.S. influenza vaccines for the season are trivalent and target A(H1N1), A(H3N2), and B/Victoria lineage viruses. Manufacturers project approximately 154 million vaccine doses for the U.S. season.

IP teams use seasonal influenza guidance to support healthcare-worker vaccination programs, respiratory-season planning, patient and staff education, and outbreak preparedness.