The Health and Hygiene Council, Canada says an international survey on hygiene practices shows 90 per cent of Canadians know hand washing is important, but only 37 per cent of Canadian children and 44 per cent of adults wash before eating.
Photograph by: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
, Canwest News Service
TORONTO - Canadians know the importance of infection prevention, but few are transferring that knowledge into action, the Health & Hygiene Council, Canada said Wednesday as it called for greater awareness of how to protect against health threats.
The council said an international survey on hygiene practices shows 90 per cent of Canadians know hand washing is important, but only 37 per cent of Canadian children and 44 per cent of adults wash before eating.
The survey said 80 per cent of parents in Malaysia, 79 per cent in India and 76 per cent in Italy reported their children washed their hands before meals.
Dr. Donald Low, chair of the council and chief microbiologist at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital said hand washing and surface disinfection are two key areas that need greater attention along with food safety, immunization and proper use of antibiotics.
He said the most "bang for your buck" in prevention from illness at home comes in the kitchen where bacteria and viruses can multiply on moist or hard surfaces.
Low said dish cloths are growing "unsatisfactory" levels of bacteria in nine out of 10 Canadian kitchens and 80 per cent of food-borne illnesses occur at home because food was not handled or cooked properly.
In the past, doctors promoted washing with soap and water but alcohol-based hand rubs are better to use on hands that are not visibly soiled, he said. "They are more effective at actually killing bacteria and viruses," Low said. "They are easier on your hands so you can do it more often without getting chafing of the skin."
They can also be made more readily accessible, Low said.
He said 15 seconds of hand washing with soap and water is still best for visible dirt but using an anti-bacterial soap won't do anything regular soap and water will do.
With cold and flu season approaching, Low said it is "not responsible" to go into work ill.
"Someone will come into work on a Monday when they feel lousy and Tuesday they stay home because they are feeling so rotten but it was Monday when they were the most infectious," Low said.
He said hygiene standards are different across age groups, provinces and organizations and the council is considering studying hygiene practices in daycare and elementary schools where children are susceptible to sharing germs.
Comprised of experts in microbiology, virology, pediatrics, infectious disease and public health, the council is also considering a study comparing common household disnfectants to determine their effectiveness.
The international survey talked to 10,000 people in 10 countries, including Canada.