Importance of Handwashing Chatham County Public Health Department www.chathamnc.org/publichealth Epiphany of realization that handwashing was important.

prevent illnesses & spread of infections to others Handwashing removes germs from hands People touch their eyes, nose, and mouth Germs get into food & drinks During food preparation & consumption A single gram of human feces—which is about the weight of a paper clip—can contain one trillion germs. Germs enter the body through these orifices and make us sick. Germs multiply in foods or drinks, under certain conditions, and make people sick.    

prevent illnesses & spread of infections to others Germs are transferred to other objects handwashing helps prevent diarrhea & respiratory infections skin and eye infections Handrails, table tops, or door handles, and then transferred to another person’s hands Salmonella, E. coli, and norovirus are just some of the of the illnesses that can be passed from unclean hands Norovirus: Virus with symptoms of stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting Causes 19-21 million illnesses and 570-800 deaths annually Most common cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S. Salmonella: Bacteria that makes people sick with symptoms of diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps lasting 4-7 days Causes 1 million illnesses and 450 deaths annually E. Coli: Bacteria that lives in the intestines of people and animals and causes diarrhea and nausea About 2.2 million children under the age of 5 die each year from diarrheal diseases and pneumonia, the top two killers of young children around the world. Handwashing with soap could protect about 1 out of every 3 young children who get sick with diarrhea and almost 1 out of 6 young children with respiratory infections like pneumonia. From CDC website: www.cdc.gov

American Society of Microbiology 2010 studies showed Washing after bathroom use Improvement of handwashing in males Women are the champs Washing after coughing or sneezinG In the 2010 observational study showed 85% of adults washed their hands in public restrooms, compared with 77% in 2007. The highest observed since these studies began in 1996. 39% of Americans say that they always wash after coughing or sneezing www.Cleaninginstitute.org

Steps for Proper Handwashing Wet your hands with running water (100°F or as hot as you can stand it) Add Soap Scrub for 20 seconds Rinse thoroughly under running water Dry hands and arms with a single-use paper towel or hand dryer Clean under your fingernails & between fingers

When to Wash Your Hands After using the restroom Sneezing, coughing, or using a handkerchief or tissue Before eating & drinking Taking out trash After handling pets Touching anything that may contaminate hands Door knobs, faucet and toilet handles Study conducted in schools – basketballs had the most bacteria due to uneven surface

Questions??