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Recent News

10/01/2007

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

09/04/2007

Researchers Investigate Evolving Malaria Resistance

08/17/2007

Change of Season, Flu Can Worsen Asthma in Children

08/06/2007

Study Identifies Source of Fever

A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Tonsils and Strep

08/02/2007

Is West Nile Virus a Threat in Your Area This Year?

Medical Residents Score Poorly in Diagnosing and Managing Tuberculosis

08/01/2007

CDC Urges Parents to Protect Preteens with Three Recommended Vaccines

07/24/2007

New Survey Reveals Few Parents are Concerned about their Preteen or Teen Getting Whooping Cough

07/18/2007

New Recommendations for Bacterial Meningitis Vaccination

07/05/2007

Tick-Related Disease Thrives on Cholesterol

06/27/2007

Lyme and Tick-borne Diseases Research Center Opens at Columbia University Medical Center

CDC Reports High Lyme Disease Rates in 10 States

06/14/2007

Eye Infections Tied to Contact Lens Use

06/11/2007

At Petting Zoos, Simple Disease Prevention Guidelines Frequently Ignored

02/28/2007

HPV Infection Common Among Females in U.S.

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

12/05/2006

Vaccines: Good for Adults, Too

12/01/2006

Americans’ Concern for Skin Infections, Flu, Spreads Across the Country

11/20/2006

Infectious Disease Doctors Urge Americans to Get Vaccinated Against the Flu

11/06/2006

Study Shows Most Ear Infections Host Both Bacteria and Viruses

10/23/2006

75 Percent of College Students Report Risk Factors for Hepatitis C

10/04/2006

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

06/26/2006

New Finding About E Coli Could Block Infections, Lead to Better Treatments

04/05/2006

Common Bacterial Infection Can Cause Infertility Yet Few Young Women Get Screened

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

Study Identifies Several New Bacterial Species Associated With Common Infection in Women

10/24/2005

Whooping Cough Vaccine Not Just for Kids Anymore

10/18/2005

New Study Says Television Remote Control is Leading Carrier of Bacteria in Patient's Hospital Room

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

08/11/2005

Survey Reveals Recent Rise in Pertussis Cases in Teens

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

09/15/2004

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

07/01/2004

Where Do Germs Lurk? New Survey Shows Most Americans do not Know

04/26/2004

In Public Restrooms, Many Take Maintenance Into Their Own Hands; Survey Looks at Personal Cleaning Methods in Private Places

03/26/2004

Many Unprotected Against Tetanus Risks From Home, Garden and Yard Activities

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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