Faecal matter can be found on just over a quarter of our hands, new research suggests. In some cases the quantity of germs is equivalent to the number in a dirty toilet bowl. So why are the British so bad at washing their hands?

Poo, it's getting everywhere... In a recent UK-wide study, 99% of people interviewed at motorway service station toilets claimed they had washed their hands after going to the toilet. Electronic recording devices revealed only 32% of men and 64% of women actually did...

Hepatitis A...

Because you can’t rely on everyone thoroughly washing their hands after defecating, experts advise using a paper towel to turn off the water faucet and to open the bathroom door. This way, you can prevent re-contaminating your hands with someone else’s germs...

Indirect contact transmission refers to situations where a susceptible person is infected from contact with a contaminated surface. Some organisms (such as Norwalk Virus) ... (a Norovirus) ... are capable of surviving on surfaces for an extended period of time. To reduce transmission by indirect contact, frequent touch surfaces should be properly disinfected.

Frequent touch surfaces (fomites) include:

Door knobs, door handles...

Washroom surfaces...

Discussion

Our results indicate that door location had an impact on contamination. For example, the handle used to exit the HDU via Gate 1, to access the operating theatres, was far more contaminated than the handle used the other way when adjusted for frequency of movement. This may be an indicator of ward activity, hand hygiene, or handle design.