Download Infectious Diseases: Hand-to

Infectious Diseases: Hand-to-Hand Contact
Infectious diseases that commonly spread through hand-to-hand contact include the common
cold, flu, and the more serious such as Ebola. Inadequate hand hygiene also contributes to foodrelated illnesses, such as salmonella and E. coli infection.
Important Steps to Prevent the Spread
1. Wash your hands. To prevent the spread of diseases, wash your hands carefully and thoroughly
with warm water and soap. Lather the entire surface of the front and back of the hands, rubbing in
the soap for at least 20 seconds. Rinse and dry hands well.
2. Stay away from sick people. Many illnesses can be transmitted through the air, and you can pick
them up just by breathing air that was coughed or sneezed into. Avoid people who are sick, as
much as possible. If you’re sick, do everyone a favor, and stay away until you’re better.
3. Contain your own germs. If you sneeze, grab a tissue and cover your nose. Completely cover
your mouth when you cough. Wash your hands frequently, don’t touch others and properly
dispose of any tissues or products that contain your germs from coughing and sneezing.
4. If you do get sick, see a doctor to find out if you are contagious and need medication to treat your
illness. Give your body time to heal, stay home until you’re better and not contagious.
Hand Washing
Suggestions for hand-washing facilities
1. Keep wash water between 70 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Provide individual hand towels from a sanitary dispenser and
a receptacle for disposing of used towels.
3. Provide hand soap and an industrial hand cleaner.
Don’t use gasoline or solvents for hand washing.
Washing with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer, which don’t require water are an excellent alternative to hand washing
when soap and water aren’t available. Not all hand sanitizers are created equal. For best results use
only the alcohol-based products. While the hand sanitizers are an effective option in killing bacterial,
they may not kill viruses that cause disease. For this reason, if the spread of disease becomes
pandemic, additional precautions may be necessary to address this threat.
Chemical Use Precautions
Avoid handling irritating substances that cause an allergic or inflammatory reactions such as acids,
solvents, or cement unless you’re using protective gloves or barrier creams. And wash your hands
thoroughly after handling them.