IJCSA response and cleaning instructions to the current global resurgence of measles, disinfecting public spaces—including schools, offices, public spaces, retail facilities—is a critical component of containing outbreaks. Because the measles virus is airborne and highly resilient, effective decontamination requires a combination of specialized chemicals and strict timing protocols.

1. The Two-Hour Air Clearance Rule

The most critical factor in disinfecting a space after a suspected exposure is the airborne nature of the virus. Measles can remain suspended and infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left.

• Protocol: Vacate the contaminated room or area for at least two hours before beginning manual cleaning.
• Ventilation: If possible, keep windows open or use portable HEPA filtration systems to accelerate the removal of airborne particles during this time.

2. Selecting the Correct Disinfectants

While the EPA does not have a standalone "List M" for measles, it recommends using products from List S, which are registered to kill bloodborne pathogens like HIV and Hepatitis B. These products are considered effective against measles because it is an "enveloped" virus, making it susceptible to these specific chemical formulations.

Recommended Product	Type	Key Features
Vital Oxide	Spray/Fogger	EPA-approved specifically for measles; non-corrosive and safe around food.
Simple Green d Pro 5	Concentrate	Hospital-grade; highly effective for high-traffic common areas.
Lysol / Clorox Wipes	Wipes/Spray	Accessible options for daily high-touch surface disinfection.
Bleach Solution	Manual Mix	A mixture of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water is effective for hard surfaces.

3. Strategic Cleaning Protocol

Effective disinfection in public spaces must target "high-touch" surfaces and follow a "clean-to-dirty" workflow.

• Pre-Cleaning: Always wash surfaces with soap and water before applying disinfectant. Dirt and organic material can shield the virus from chemical treatment.
• Contact Time: Disinfectants are not instant. The surface must remain visibly wet for the full duration specified on the product label (often 1–10 minutes) to ensure the virus is destroyed.
• High-Touch Targets: Focus on doorknobs, light switches, elevator buttons, shopping carts, sink handles, and keyboards.

4. Safety and PPE for Cleaning Staff

Personnel tasked with cleaning contaminated areas should be immune to measles (evidenced by two MMR doses or laboratory confirmation).

• Protective Gear: Wear disposable gloves, a well-fitting respirator (such as an N95), and eye protection.
• Disposal: Treat cleaning cloths and used PPE as regulated medical waste or seal them in plastic bags for immediate disposal.

By strictly adhering to the two-hour clearance window and using EPA List S-registered products, facility managers can significantly reduce the risk of secondary infections within a public building.

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- *Measles Cases Confirmed in Nearly Half the US*: With 933 cases reported in South Carolina, the outbreak is the largest this year. This highlights the importance of proper cleaning and disinfection protocols in public spaces. 

2026 Outbreak Status 2/13/26

• United States: Significant outbreaks are active in states including South Carolina, California, Wisconsin, and Florida (where a university outbreak recently reached nearly 60 cases).
• Global: Mexico is reportedly on the brink of losing its "measles-free" status after cases surpassed 9,000 across all 32 states. Several European countries, including the UK and Spain, recently lost their elimination status due to surging cases. 

As of mid-February 2026, the world is facing a profound resurgence of measles, with major outbreaks threatening the "measles-free" status of several nations. Despite a decline in some regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF warn that global immunity remains dangerously low due to pandemic-era vaccination gaps and rising vaccine hesitancy.

A $1 million fleet of robots is Spokane Public School custodians’ latest tool for squeaky clean floors

It’s long after the final bell has rung at Glover Middle School and all the students have gone home for the day, but a recent addition to the school is just beginning its solitary job cleaning its many hard floors .

“Wonderbot,” as the custodial team named it, is an automated cleaning robot that scrubs and polishes floors without needing a human to push it. It still requires custodial assistant Jason Huffman’s sentient touch, but he can start the machine and walk away to work on one of the other many duties a custodian must finish before kids return to school the next day.

“It’s like a little baby, you kind of got to baby it,” Huffman said, describing how he has to check up on the bot several times throughout its cleaning to replace water or get it out of a jam, for example.

More at the source: Spokesman Review

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Over a million bottles of popular cleaning product being recalled: Here’s whY

NEW YORK (PIX11) – Over a million bottles of a popular cleaning product are being recalled because they contain bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. 

On Thursday, the CPSC notified consumers that Angry Orange Enzyme Stain Remover was being recalled due to the presence of bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium known to cause infections in the blood, lungs (pneumonia), and the urinary tract, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

More at source: Pix 11 New York

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Flu reaches highest level in the US in 25 years

Flu continues to bring misery across the US, with all but four states showing high or very high levels of activity as a new virus strain called subclade K continues to spread.

By another measure – visits to the doctor for fever plus a cough or sore throat, which are common flu symptoms – the US is at its highest level of respiratory illness since at least the 1997-98 flu season, according to data published Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This is definitely a banner year,” said Dr. Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “It’s the worst we’ve had in at least 20 years. We’re seeing a majority of the country is experiencing very high levels of activity, and we’re still in the thick of it.”

It’s striking to see such an intense season coming off last year’s bad flu season, she noted, as bad years don’t typically occur back to back.

More at source: CNN

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New flu strain emerging as a severe health threat

A new form of the flu, which is highly contagious and aggressive, is sweeping the nation this season.

A mutation of influenza A H3N2, called subclade K, has been detected as the culprit in rising global cases, including in the U.S.

The World Health Organization stated on its website that the K variant marks "a notable evolution in influenza A (H3N2) viruses," which some say calls into question the effectiveness of this season's vacine against the strain.

The K variant causes more intense flu symptoms, including fever, chills, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat and runny nose, according to experts.

Among 216 influenza A(H3N2) viruses collected since Sept. 28, 89.8% belonged to subclade K, a CDC report states.

More at the source: Fox 5 Atlanta

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Mother creates fake AI news broadcast to scare kids into cleaning rooms

The mother used AI-powered video editing tools—reportedly including Adobe After Effects or Synthesia—to overlay footage of her children's toy-strewn rooms onto a mock news segment. 

• The Content: The "breaking news" report featured a serious-looking AI news anchor (often identified as "Maria" or "Samantha") describing the chaotic state of the rooms as a developing national crisis.

• The Threat: The newscast warned that if the children, often identified as twins named Elon and Lux or Vivian and Francesca, did not clean immediately, a "special service" or a "giant bug" would arrive to remove all their toys.
• The Result: The children were captured on camera watching the broadcast in shock and disbelief before frantically rushing to clean their rooms. 

More at source: India Times

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Bay Area care-home employee who left pitcher of cleaning fluid unattended, leading to deaths of two residents, sentenced to 40 days

An East Palo Alto woman was sentenced to 40 days in county jail for accidentally killing two and hospitalizing one Atria Assisted Living Facility resident by serving them toxic cleaning fluid instead of juice for breakfast, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

The woman, Alisia Rivera Mendoza, 36, previously pleaded no contest to felony elder abuse. In addition to her jail sentence, she received 350 hours of community service, two years of supervised probation and is banned from working in nursing homes and care facilities

Mendoza — who worked at the facility — poured the toxic cleaning fluid into a pitcher, intending to use it to clean the kitchen after breakfast. However, another employee took the pitcher and poured it into the three residents’ glasses, the DA’s office said. The San Mateo Fire Department and 911 was called at the time of the ingestion.

More at source: Daily Journal

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Please be advised the office will be closed today in observance and remembrance of Veterans Day. 

Homeaglow’s $19 house cleaning service traps customers in hard-to-cancel subscriptions, watchdog group says

Many consumers complained the one-time $19 cleaning came with an automatic enrollment in a six-month cleaning subscription, called ForeverClean. The subscription’s monthly fees were $49 to $59. But Homeaglow’s independent contractors also charge their own cleaning fees on top of Homeaglow’s fees, with prices varied by job.

Some consumers who tried to cancel were told they’d owe hefty early termination fees, in some cases $150 to $210.

Truth in Advertising has sent letters to the FTC and attorneys general in 12 states, including Illinois, and the District of Columbia asking them to investigate.

The nonprofit organization says the automatic subscription model, which it contends is not clearly disclosed, violates state consumer protection laws and the federal Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act of 2010, which protects consumers against so-called “negative option” marketing that employs automatic subscriptions without clear disclosures of the terms.

The setup is “especially egregious” and “deceptive,” says Laura Smith, legal director for Truth in Advertising.

Homeaglow agreed to pay $30,000 to settle a lawsuit filed last year by Pennsylvania, and it promised to clearly and conspicuously disclose its membership terms on its websites.

More at source: WBEZ Chicago

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GetCleaning Up Crimes Scenes Takes A Strong Stomach And A Stronger Mind

Murder, suicide and fatal workplace accidents leave emotional and psychological scars for colleagues who have to continue working in offices that became crime scenes.

Those scenes often involve blood, body fluids and other biohazards that have to be cleaned up before a home or workplace can function again.

Casper’s John Sleep, co-owner and general manager of the SERVPRO franchise, said his company gets a dozen or so calls a year, often from police victim’s services units, asking if his team can clean up a crime scene.

More at the source: Cobwoy State Daily

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