Growing up, I know my mom or dad would always make sure I washed my hands when I left the bathroom and also before dinner. What the hell happened to that?  A new story from the BBC (because I love the British slant on it) has more than a cautionary tale why we need to continue to have good hand Hygiene.

People not washing their hands after going to the toilet, rather than undercooked meat, is behind the spread of a key strain of E. coli. Experts looked at thousands of blood, fecal, and food samples. They found human-to-human transmission was responsible – “fecal particles from one person reaching the mouth of another.” Public Health England said hand-washing and good hygiene were key to preventing the spread of infections.

Should be simple enough, yes? Well, it’s not. Next time you hit the bathroom at a restaurant, or any place really, notice how many people use the bathroom and then leave without washing their hands.  The number is staggering. Just in 2 different big box stores today, I noted that about 4 of the six people I encountered failed to wash their hands before leaving. So roughly 60%., of course, this is non-scientific, of all those that used the bathroom failed to clean their hands.  Ack!

In the study, published in Lancet: Infectious Diseases, the team analyzed 20,000 human fecal samples and 300 blood samples plus hundreds of sewage samples, animal slurry, and meats, including beef, pork, and chicken – as well fruit and salad.

One strain – ST131 – was seen in the majority of human samples from all three sources. It is found in the gut but can, usually via urinary tract infections, cause serious infections.

However, the strains found in meat, cattle and animal slurry were mostly different

So, poo hands, it’s on you since it is a gut bacteria. We are often able to tell a female patient’s wiping habits only by what the urine culture grows. E-coli in the urine means that you are not wiping front to back. At that point, as a provider, we must spend some time educating our patients on perineal care (properly cleaning your genitals and backside).

If you think this is like a zebra in a herd of horses, you would be mistaken.  My family and pediatric rotation landed me in a family health clinic. I was in Provo, UT.  I was shocked by the number of not only younger women but older ones that had perineal hygiene issues.  In one situation, I spoke to a 43-year-old woman who confided that she has always done it that way and never thought to ask or was never asked.

Holy cats! No one? No one said, “Hey, Carol, you need to do it this way?” When I asked her how many UTI’s she has had, she indicated that she had an infection at least once a month and sometimes more.  Her chart in this practice also told the same story. Who forgot to tell her? Who forgot to explain it?  Was it just said, and being that it is Utah, we nod, silently wonder what it means, and go about our day? I’m stumped.

If you don’t wash your hands and work around food, you can get your nastiness on my food.  Kinda why I never eat at salad bars. Working as a public health nurse that went on restaurant inspections from time to time, I can tell you, its very rare for me to like a salad bar (or buffet).

Wash your damn hands with soap and warm water for at least 30 seconds, dry, and then turn off the sink with that paper towel. Make your children do the same (looks at Karen).

The BBC says it goes beyond hand hygiene:

“It’s particularly important to have good hygiene in care homes, as most of the severe E. coli infections occur among the elderly, and people may need help going to the toilet.”

Prof Neil Woodford, of Public Health England, said: “To tackle antibiotic resistance, we not only need to drive down inappropriate prescribing but reduce infections in the first place.

“To limit serious, antibiotic-resistant E. coli bloodstream infections, we must focus on thorough hand-washing and good infection control, as well as the effective management of urinary tract infections.”

See the University of Utah Medical Center, they know about good antibiotic stewardship…

Be the kind of person your mom and your dog think you are.