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08/04/2008

1 in 10 Children Using Cough, Cold Medications

Deb SBS Launches Program for Infection Control in the Workplace

FluMist Now Available for the 2008-09 Flu Season

Canadian Study of Colds and Kids Reveals Positive Safety Results for Ginseng Extract

06/04/2008

HHS Issues New Fact Sheet on Cleaning and Disinfecting Surfaces in the Home and in Public Places

06/02/2008

Infection Control Intervention Helps Keep Kids in School

02/12/2008

It’s Back to the Basics for Fighting Children’s Cold, Flu Symptoms Safely

01/30/2008

U-M Students Participate in Flu Season Study

01/24/2008

OTC Cough Medicine: Not Worthwhile for Children or Adults?

12/07/2007

Seven Steps to Prevent Colds and Flu this Winter

11/27/2007

Nationwide Survey Reports that Mothers View Cleaning Homes and Toys as Essential to Preventing Colds and Flu

10/17/2007

Report Finds Major Gaps Exist in U.S. Pediatric Pandemic Preparations

10/16/2007

It's Not Too Soon to Begin Thinking About the Flu

10/01/2007

Launch of New Educational Campaign, Spread the Word - NOT the Flu!, Aims to Highlight Importance of Influenza Vaccination

Record Number of Kids Expected to Get Flu Vaccine This Year

09/17/2007

Hygiene Habits Stall: People Still Not Washing Their Hands

08/17/2007

Change of Season, Flu Can Worsen Asthma in Children

07/31/2007

Back to School Means Back to Being Sick for Many Students and Teachers

07/18/2007

Researchers Say Vitamin C Offers Little Protection Against Colds

06/26/2007

Hand Sanitizer Use Safe, Despite Internet, Media Hype

06/25/2007

Survey Reveals Americans are Unaware of Germ Threat to Children in the Home

02/14/2007

Germs Working Overtime, Especially at Women's Desks; New Study Compares Office Surfaces Germ by Germ to Determine “Germiest” Gender

02/13/2007

Survey Shows One-Third of Working Moms Have Sent Sick Child to School or Daycare

11/20/2006

Infectious Disease Doctors Urge Americans to Get Vaccinated Against the Flu

10/04/2006

Arrival of Cold and Flu Season Shouldn’t Mean Departure of Employees; Worker Absenteeism can be Reduced with Proper Cleaning

Top Health Experts Urge Americans to Seek Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccinations This Fall and Winter

10/01/2006

Hotel Guests Often Leave Their Cold Behind

08/24/2006

Where Are the Germs Hiding This Back to School Season? Lab Studies Reveal the Hidden Health Risk of Unsterilized Wind Instruments

08/23/2006

The Facts and Fiction About Flu and Colds

08/15/2006

Add Vaccinations to Your Child’s Back-to-School Supply List

07/19/2006

Study Demonstrates School Flu Immunization Reduced Student Absences

02/27/2006

New National Survey Shows Employees Feel Pressured to Go to Work, Despite Being Sick With Flu

01/12/2006

New Survey Raises Red Flag About Healthcare Consumers and Physicians’ Attitudes Toward the Flu

12/13/2005

Infection Rates, Cleanliness Top the List of Factors Consumers Consider When Choosing a Hospital

12/06/2005

New Analysis Ranks America's Worst Cities for Respiratory Infections

11/03/2005

National Survey Shows Avian Flu is a Top Concern This Year

With or Without a Pandemic Scenario, Flu is a Serious Health Threat

11/02/2005

Exercise is the Best Protection Against Catching a Cold

09/16/2005

Millions of Germs and Bacteria Await Kids at School; NSF International Findings Highlight the Importance of Handwashing in Illness Prevention

09/06/2005

Hand Sanitizer Gel Reduces Spread of GI Infections

04/12/2005

Researchers Say Being Too Clean Could Be Hazardous to Your Health and the Environment

04/05/2005

Good Hand Hygiene Helps Fight Hospital-Associated Infections

03/17/2005

New Study Shows Flu Virus Makes Itself at Home

03/04/2005

Are Restroom Report Cards the Way to a More Hygienic Public Restroom? Survey Respondents Say Yes to Ratings, Touch-Free Systems and Guaranteed Supplies

02/08/2005

Anaheim, Calif. Tops America's 'AhH-Choo! Index'

11/03/2004

Five Guaranteed Tips for Avoiding Colds

10/19/2004

Public Not Too Worried About Flu Vaccine Shortage, Survey Shows

09/15/2004

Nation Gets a "C" for Hygiene in the SDA Clean Hands Report Card

08/02/2004

Kleenex Brand Launches New Anti-Viral Tissue

07/30/2004

One in Five Parents Believes Children Lack Proper Hygiene Products in School

Bacteria and viruses are the microscopic organisms – otherwise known as germs -- that are responsible for causing and transmitting illness and disease. These microbes are so small, that according to the American Society for Microbiology, if the smallest of all microbes was the size of a baseball, an average bacterium would then be the size of the pitcher's mound, and just one of the millions of cells that make up your body would be the size of the ballpark!

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  • An average of only 1 in 6 people wash their hands after using the restroom.
  • After using the restroom, a single hand can have a population count of more than 200 million bacteria per square inch.
  • When you sneeze, germs can travel at 80 miles per hour across a room.
  • One microbe can grow to become more than 8 million germs in just one day.
  • A kitchen cutting board harbors 50 times more bacteria than your toilet seat.
  • The average desk harbors 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat.
  • Viruses can survive on common surfaces like faucet handles for up to 72 hours.
  • The majority of food-poisoning cases are acquired in the home.
  • The average child catches at least 8 colds in a year, and U.S. kids miss as many as 189 million school days each year due to colds.

Do you think it's important to wash your hands in order to prevent the spread of illness and disease?

Absolutely, and I wash constantly!
Whenever I remember to do so!
I'm too busy to wash my hands!

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