An outbreak of gastrointestinal infections in a specific inpatient department leads the infection preventionist to implement TBP, enhanced cleaning, cohorting, visitor education, outbreak signage, and postponement of admissions. What are these actions examples of?

• A. Surveillance activities
• B. Risk communication only
• C. Control measures
• D. Environmental monitoring

Answer: (C)

The actions described are about stopping and limiting the spread of infection once an outbreak is identified. Implementing transmission-based precautions (TBP) reduces the ways the pathogen can move between people. Intensified cleaning and disinfection lowers the amount of contaminated environmental surfaces. Cohorting patients keeps those with the outbreak separate from others to prevent cross-transmission. Educating visitors and posting outbreak signage helps ensure everyone in the area follows the necessary precautions. Postponing admissions decreases the number of people who could be exposed or become infected. Taken together, these steps are aimed at interrupting transmission and controlling the outbreak, not merely collecting information (surveillance), monitoring the environment for contamination (environmental monitoring), or focusing only on communicating risk. Hence, they are control measures.