The following study was conducted to compare the efficacies of handwashing with soap and water alone on bacterial contamination of hands . Twenty volunteers, who intentionally contaminated their hands by contacting door handles and railings in public places, were assigned randomly to three treatments; handwashing, using water, handwashing with a plain non-antibacterial soap and no handwashing. Fecal bacterial species were detected in 44% of the samples after no handwashing. Handwashing with and water only decreased the bacterial contamination to 23 %, while handwashing with soap and water decreased the bacterial presence to 8% (p< 0.001) and the effective results were irrespective of the bacterial species .
Each volunteer underwent the three hygiene treatments eight times, after which they were instructed to wash their hands, without any specific guidelines on the length of the time and thoroughness. Upon drying with a paper towel, samples were obtained with a wet NaCl- soaked charcoal swab wiped on the hands of the participants. In the laboratory, the swabs were aseptically cut and processed in Purple MacConkey broth and streaked on MacConkey agar No.3 and Bile Aesculin agar to detect the coliforms and Enterococcus species.
The results demonstrated the maximum prevalence of the Enterococcus spp. followed by the Enterobacter spp. The difference between the efficacies of handwashing with soap and water and water only was statistically significant, particularly in the Enterococcus spp. Although the study utilized a qualitative microbiological method of testing, it is simple, inexpensive and appropriate for large-scale investigations of handwashing campaigns. This preliminary finding serves as an important result and opens up the avenues for future studies on the use of various hygiene regimens on the elimination of other viruses and bacteria. The findings of this study highlight the importance of handwashing with soap to curb the transmission of diarrheal pathogens and reduce the potential risk of diarrheal diseases.
Works Cited
Burton, M. "The Effect of Handwashing with Water or Soap on Bacterial Contamination of Hands." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2011): 8 (1):97-104.
