Image courtesy of Public Health of England.

 

An infection control expert in England has released images to show how contaminated hands can become after touching common, every day objects.

The Daily Mail reports that Peter Hoffman, of Public Health England, handled such objects as raw chicken and a used dishcloth, as well as a surface used for meat preparation and fixtures in the restroom.

He then pressed his hands onto a substance that "only allows germs from fecal matter to grow," and recorded the 'hand scan' images.

In the first row of the pictures, bacterial colonies are easily seen in light to dark pinks imprints, and — in the case of the dishcloth — often cover much of Hoffman's hands.

"Ingestion of these bacteria and viruses can cause a range of gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses including E.coli, norovirus, colds and flu. It is also a way in which highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be spread around," said PHE in a blog. "These are increasingly being recognized as a major threat to public health."

In the second row, Hoffman evidences the importance of hand washing. The images show much of the contamination eliminated.

"Just as contamination was passed from my hands to the growth surfaces in the pictures, so it could be passed from your hands to your mouth, the food you handle or any other route of infection," he said. "Washing the hands using soap and water is integral to breaking the cycle of transmission of harmful bugs whether that is in a hospital or in our own homes and everyone needs to adopt this very good habit."

To read the article in its entirety, click here.