Bacteria and hand-washing- Pragmatic to school children

Hand washing is thought to be effective for the prevention of transmission of

Diarrhea pathogens. However it is not conclusive that hand washing with soap is more

Effective at reducing contamination with bacteria associated with diarrhea than using

Water only.

How many times has someone told you: “Go wash your hands before dinner?”

Image: Shree Dharmodaya Lower secondary School Mirkot-5, Gorkha District

Why is hand washing important?

Some microorganism are beneficial to you and some are harmful. The most common microorganism is bacteria. Microorganisms can be transmitted from person to person in many ways.

Bacteria
are
a
diverse
group
of
microscopic,
single celled
organisms.
Viruses
are
microscopic
and
infect
cells
using
the
cells
as
hosts
for
reproduction.
Both
bacteria
and
viruses
can
cause
disease
in
humans.
However,
bacteria
and
viruses
exist
in
the
environment
all
around
us
and
most
do
not
harm
people. A
pandemic
is
an
outbreak
of
a
disease
around
the
world.
Scientists
and
health
professionals


are
concerned
about
the
possibility
of
an
H1N1
influenza
(flu)
pandemic.
When
a
flu
pandemic


happens,
people
may
have
little
or
no
immunity,
and
a
vaccine
may
not
exist
for
this
new
flu
virusThe
disease
then
spreads
easily
person‐to‐person
and
may
cause
serious
illness
across
the
country


and
around
the
world
very
quickly.

A
vaccine
is
currently
being
tested
for
the
H1N1
influenza.



According
to
the
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention,
the
most
common
method


that
pathogens
are
spread
is
via
the
hands.
Therefore,
proper
hand
hygiene
helps
to
limit
the
spread
of
the
flu
and
other
infectious
diseases,
and
is
the
single
most
effective
way
to
prevent
the
spread
of
disease.
Hand
washing
reduces
diseases
that
are
spread
through
fecal–oral
or
hand‐to‐mouth
transmission,
direct
or
indirect
transmission(i.e.,
close
contact
by
sharing
personal
items),
and
respiratory
or
airborne
transmission
(i.e.,
coughing
or
sneezing).



Micro-organisms play an important role in all our lives and many are so small they can only be seen

under a microscope. Many micro-organisms are helpful to us whilst others can be harmful; micro-organisms that harm humans tend to be referred to as germs. These germs can be a bacteria, fungi and

virus.

Germs mainly enter the home on people, food, in contaminated water or via pets and pests. Once inside

the home they can be transferred from person to person or from the source to a person by direct contact,

or through indirect contact via a surface and back again. This latter process is often called cross-contamination.

Cross-contamination is one of the greatest causes of illness and disease in the world, where a greater

focus on the practice of improved and targeted hygiene measures in the home could lead to a reduction

in infectious diseases on a global scale. Improved home hygiene strategies include:

•  The need for home hygiene to receive the same scientific approach generally applied to hospitals

or food manufacturing

•  The recognition that good hygiene is not about trying to completely rid a home of germs, but

about effectively implementing good hygiene measures or practices and using them in the right

place at the right time

•  The distinction in people’s minds about the difference between removing dirt and hygienic

cleaning

Hand washing

Why is hand washing so important?

The hands are one of the greatest ways cross-contamination and cross-infection can occur in the home.

Hand washing is therefore the single most important thing you can do to help reduce the spread of

infections. Regularly washing your hands properly with antibacterial soap and warm water can help

protect you, your family, and others against the risk of infection. If antibacterial soap and warm water are

not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer should be used.

Why is surface cleaning so important?

Pathogenic micro-organisms and fungal spores entering the home can survive on surfaces for significant

periods of time and can be transferred to the hands when touched. Germs from hands can then be

transferred to other surfaces and other people, leading to infection. To break this chain of infection,

household surfaces should be cleaned thoroughly with an antibacterial cleanser or disinfectant on a

regular basis, reducing the risk of cross-contamination and lowering the risk of illness.

Why is food hygiene so important?

The micro-organisms that cause food-borne illness can be spread directly onto chopping boards, utensils,

work tops and other foods from raw meat and vegetables during food preparation. These micro-organisms can then spread to other surfaces around the home via your hands. Once one person is

infected with food-borne micro-organisms, it’s highly likely that they will pass this onto others in your

home and community, particularly if hygiene practice is poor. In order to prevent cross-contamination,

surfaces and utensils that are used to make and prepare raw food, particularly poultry and meat, should

be thoroughly cleaned with an antibacterial cleanser or disinfectant after each use.

Children Involving in Praggmatic Procedure of Handwashing