Hand Hygiene to Prevent the
Spread of Disease
Lynn Nakamura-Tengan
Extension Educator
What will be covered
• Basic information about germs
– Types
– Modes of transmission
• Importance of hand washing
– When to wash
– How to wash
• Alternative hand hygiene options
– Products available
• Implementation in local settings
Germs-microscopic organism
• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Fungi
• Protozoa
Bacteria
• a single cell
• helpful, pathogenic (harmful,
causing disease), and spoilage
(deteriorates food)
• balls, rods, or spirals
• Salmonella, Staphylococcus
aureus, Streptococci
• Some bacteria produce poisons
called toxins -Clostridium
botulinum bacteria
Streptococci Bacteria
Source: National Institute of
Health-NIAID
Viruses
• Viruses are smaller than bacteria
• Viruses are protein structures, not cells
• Require a living host to survive
• Highly infectious
• Viruses can be rod-shaped, sphere-shaped,
or multisided, common examples:
Hepatitis A, Norwalk virus, influenza
virus
Fungi
• primitive vegetable
• found in air, in soil, on plants, and in water
• familiar ones - mushrooms, yeast, mold,
and mildew
• Some live in the human body, without
causing illness
• Some are beneficial - penicillin
and yeast for fermentation
Protozoa
• microscopic one-celled animals
• Protozoa can be parasites or predators
• In humans, protozoa usually cause
disease
• Examples: Malaria - a protozoan
parasite, Trichinia spialis (pork and wild
game meats), Giardia lamblia
(contaminated water and anything it
contacts)
Germs: modes of transmission
• Person to person
• Cuts, abrasions, wounds
• Insects – mosquito (Dengue, West Nile),
flea (plague) , tick (Lyme disease)
• Water – e-coli, Cryptosporidia, Giardia and Salmonella
• Pets – dogs & cats (rabies),
reptiles (Salmonella)
Germs: modes of transmission
• Air - cough and sneeze
• Hands
Germ enter your body - hands
• Hands to food – unwashed hands
preparing foods
• Hand to hand – shaking hands
• Food to hands to food – raw poultry to
ready to eat foods
• Food to hands to infant – diaper
changing to infant
• Nose, mouth or eyes to hand
• Hands to nose, mouth, eyes
Germs enter your body - other
• Insects such as mosquitoes, fleas and
ticks
• Animal bites
• Open cuts, abrasions, or wounds; treat
and cover wounds immediately.
Avian Flu
Greatest risk from handling & slaughtering infected
poultry
• Do not eat sick or dead poultry
• Do not touch sick or dead birds without gloves
• Do not let children touch or play with sick or dead
birds or their feathers
• Do not sell or buy birds from infected area
• Do not move sick or dead birds out of an infected
area
• Do not drink unboiled/treated water from areas
with bird droppings
• Do not swim in waters used by wild birds birds m
Handwashing
Hand hygiene is the primary measure to reduce
infections…”
Soaps - designed to clean the skin by removing
dirt, oils and germs.
Antibacterial soaps - contain Triclocarbon and
Triclosan, for added germ killing protection
Hand sanitizers – waterless, include a germ kill
ingredient: alcohol, Triclocarbon, Triclosan
When to wash your hands
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•
•
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Before and after eating, drinking, smoking or chewing
tobacco products
After going to the bathroom
After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has
gone to the bathroom
Before and after tending to someone who is sick
After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
After touching hair, face or clothing
After handling an animal, animal parts or animal waste
After handling garbage, cleaning products, pesticides,
fertilizers, soil
Before and after treating a cut or wound
Anytime hands look dirty
Hand washing Experiment
1. Break up into 6 groups
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Liquid soap and water
Foam Soap
Water only
Alcohol sanitizer
Chlorine sanitizer
Hand wipes
Apply “Pretend Germ lotion”
Clean hands as directed for your group
Record results of your hand hygiene
Discussion on findings
Handwashing Resources:
• Clean Your Hands brochure
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Multi-lingual Handwashing poster
Germ City - When to Wash and Wash Your Hands posters
Handwashing Video by Carl Winters, UC Davies http://foodsafe.ucdavis.edu/FSM_Source/HTML_Source_FSM/music_videos.ht
ml
Thank you
and
Happy Handwashing!