Taken together these issues indicate a need for greater investment in prevention strategies such as vaccination programmes and hygiene, which are now seen as the most sustainable approaches to containing the burden of infectious disease.

Until now the emphasis has been on prevention of infections in hospitals. Healthcare workers increasingly recognise that reducing infection in healthcare settings cannot be achieved without also reducing the circulation of pathogens such as norovirus, MRSA etc. in the community.

As infection control in healthcare settings improves, hygiene in home and everyday life settings is being exposed as the weak link in the chain?