With a continual rise in multidrug-resistant germs, a new website has been launched to raise awareness of many of the main pathogens that cause healthcare associated infections (HCAIs). Designed to help healthcare professionals and ancillary staff, www.bugstoppers.co.uk has been specially developed to provide easy-to-digest information on the illicit antics of nosocomial pathogens such as Clostridium difficile, MRSA, Klebsiella pneumoniae and norovirus.

Echoing Crimestoppers, the website treats pathogens as criminals who can only be arrested through greater awareness. The site holds data on a wide variety of bad bacteria, villainous viruses and fearsome fungi. Each criminal provides a microscopic image of the bug alongside a memorable character design. A short criminal profile and an outline of some key facts and are provided. These are designed to make learning about the bugs more fun whilst still being highly educational. There is also a quick link to a more detailed, scientific profile of the pathogens available in the microbiology section of the supporting Bioquell website.

Bug of the month starts with Clostridium difficile, a shady character known to lurk in healthcare environments. Awareness and hand hygiene precautions are critical to help manage this potential killer.

In addition to the usual suspects, there are a few surprise entries such as Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) and variola virus (smallpox). There are also entries for many members of the multidrug and pandrug-resistant families including the latest resistant-gene superbugs like NDM-1 and ESBL-producing gram negatives.

To help promote further awareness, the criminal characters have been turned into a set of Bug Trump cards, ideal for infection control team training sessions and around the hospital. Posters and other desktop tools are also available.

Commenting on the new website, James Salkeld head of Bioquell Healthcare said, "We work with numerous healthcare professionals around the world and they all are passionate about increasing awareness of the risk of HCAIs. Our new website and supporting Bug Stoppers campaign has been developed with healthcare professionals to provide their colleagues with tools that can help to build a greater appreciation of the risks of HCAIs and improve practices that aid in its prevention."

The new website can be found at www.bugstoppers.co.uk  and more details of the Bug Stoppers campaigns can be obtained by contacting Bioquell through the site.