PSAI Stresses Importance of Hand Washing After E.Coli Outbreak in Europe

PSAI has always promoted the importance of hand washing and hand sanitizer.

With the current outbreak in Europe, of E.coli in humans, this message needs to be reinforced to your customers. As of June 6, 2011, case counts confirmed by Germany’s Robert Koch Institute include 642 patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)—a type of kidney failure that is associated with E. coli or STEC infections—and 15 deaths. Transmission is through food or water contaminated with human or animal feces. Person-to-person transmission may also occur, but is likely to be less common.

One of the greatest forms of transferring the bacteria is through the absence of hand washing. The CDC has listed basic, common-sense advice: Wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom or changing diapers and before preparing or eating food. Wash your hands after contact with animals or their environments (at farms, petting zoos, fairs, even your own backyard).

The CDC is also aware that hand washing with soap and water may not always be available and have provided information on the use of a hand sanitizer. Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer.

Below is a link to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) web site concerning E.Coli. You can use this link to obtain current information on the outbreak. In addition, the CDC hand washing site link below stresses the need for hand washing and hand sanitizer.

If your customers do not have hand washing facilities or hand sanitizers, you need to encourage them through education, that the need is greater than the small cost. Refer the CDC sites as a reference.

E. Coli—http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/
Handwashing—http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/

Information provided by: Portable Sanitation Association International
Tel: 952-854-8300 • 800-822-3020
E-mail: info@psai.org • Web site: www.psai.org

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