Thursday, February 13, 2014

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.
Bacteriaareadiversegroupofmicroscopic,single celledorganisms.Virusesaremicroscopicandinfectcellsusingthecellsashostsforreproduction.Bothbacteriaandvirusescancausediseaseinhumans.However,bacteriaandvirusesexistintheenvironmentallaroundusandmostdonotharmpeople. Apandemicisanoutbreakofadiseasearoundtheworld.Scientistsandhealthprofessionals
areconcernedaboutthepossibilityofanH1N1influenza(flu)pandemic.Whenaflupandemic
happens,peoplemayhavelittleornoimmunity,andavaccinemaynotexistforthisnewfluvirusThediseasethenspreadseasilypersontopersonandmaycauseseriousillnessacrossthecountry
andaroundtheworldveryquickly.

AvaccineiscurrentlybeingtestedfortheH1N1influenza.


AccordingtotheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention,themostcommonmethod
thatpathogensarespreadisviathehands.Therefore,properhandhygienehelpstolimitthespreadofthefluandotherinfectiousdiseases,andisthesinglemosteffectivewaytopreventthespreadofdisease.Handwashingreducesdiseasesthatarespreadthroughfecaloralorhandto‐mouthtransmission,directorindirecttransmission(i.e.,closecontactbysharingpersonalitems),andrespiratoryorairbornetransmission(i.e.,coughingorsneezing).


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

2 comments:

  1. Dear Mr. Pandey: Thank you for this concise and informative "primer" on handwashing, hygiene and disease prevention. I have two questions. 1. Your article specifically mentions using antibacterial soap with which to wash hands. I had read another article 2 or 3 years ago that claimed that soap ... whether it was antibacterial or not ... followed by 20 seconds of warm water rinsing ... were equally effective. I.E., there was no difference in the removal of germs/bacteria whether one used anti-bacterial or non-antibacterial soap. What's the prevailing notion today? 2. Also, does the level of sanitation/safe water, etc. ... available/not available in certain parts of the world ... influence too the need for antibacterial versus non-antibacterial soap?

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  2. You are welcome miss Annette Collins, i am glad in response to your comments.
    Big difference! Normal soap doesn't kill anything other than maybe smell, which it usually hides with some form of fragrance. Antibacterial soap and hand gel on the other hand are more effective at getting rid of bacteria.

    In fact if we compare between antibacterial soap and antibacterial hand gels, you'll see that antibacterial hand gels also requires less time to perform hand hygiene when compared to regular hand washing procedures with a liquid soap and water. Pump bottles are more easily accessible than sinks and is a fast acting cleanser. Alcohol based hand rubs are less likely to cause irritation to the skin when used repeatedly in comparison to soap and water hand washing techniques. Is it any wonder more and more hospitals are starting to use antibacterial hand gels for hand hygiene.

    For a really excellent antibacterial hand gel, try Aqium Antibacterial Gel it comes in a 70mL purse pack, 375mL pump pack and 1 Litre pump pack. Aqium also contains moisturising agents pro vitamin B5 and vitamin E to keep hands soft and prevent dry skin. Aqium is available in Pharmacies.

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