Stopping the Spread of Germs

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Oklahoma Dept. of Corrections Online Training

• Stopping the Spread of Germs

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Course Information
Editor Lynne Presley, Training Staff
Development Unit Course Data From "An Ounce of
Prevention Keeps the Germs Away" and "Stopping
the Spread of Germs at Work," both produced by
the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (used
by permission). Additional material provided by
Mike Jackson, M.D., Medical Director, Oklahoma
Dept. of Corrections. Course Length One hour
(assuming links are followed and read) Oracle
Course SAF108006 Course Released April 1, 2008
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Course Objectives

• At the conclusion of this course, students will
  be able to
• Understand that humans can be infected by a
  virus or bacteria
• Name the appropriate situations when you should
  wash your hands, and understand effective
  hand-washing procedures
• Identify safety steps while preparing and
  storing food
• Explain the difference between cleaning and
  disinfecting a surface
• Demonstrate how to cough and sneeze safely to
  avoid spreading germs

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What are Germs?

• We come into contact every day with
  microorganisms that exist in nature, both good
  and bad. Certain "bad" microorganisms (germs)
  are harmful. Examples of bad germs include
• Bacteria Salmonella bacteria can cause food
  poisoning.
• Viruses Rhinoviruses can cause colds. Herpes
  simplex causes cold sores. Influenza can cause
  the Flu.
• Fungi Trichophyton can cause Athlete's foot.
• Parasites Giardia can cause diarrhea.

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Germs
These bad germs (viruses, bacteria, parasites,
fungi) can cause many types of illnesses and can
spread easily from one person to another, having
wide-reaching effects.
Electron microscope photo of E. Coli bacteria,
which has a history of contaminating our food
supply and has caused illness and death. Photo
courtesy of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.
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Infectious Diseases
The Facts Behind the Urgency

• Salmonella infections are responsible for an
  estimated 1.4 million illnesses each year.
• Infectious diseases cost the U.S. 120 billion a
  year.
• More than 160,000 people in the U.S. die yearly
  from an infectious disease.

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Infectious Diseases
The Facts Behind the Urgency
Illness can be devastating to yourself, your
family, and your co-workers. By following the
tips in this course, you can help yourself and
others to avoid contagious infections.
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Section 1

• Washing Your Hands

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Wash Your Hands Often
Keeping your hands clean is one of the best ways
to keep from getting sick and spreading
illnesses. Cleaning your hands gets rid of
germs picked up from other people . . . from the
surfaces you touch . . . and from animals with
which youve had contact.
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When to Wash Your Hands

• Before eating
• Before, during and after handling or preparing
  food
• After contact with blood or body fluids (like
  vomit, nasal secretions, or saliva)
• After changing a diaper
• After using the bathroom
• After handling animals, their toys, leashes, or
  waste

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When to Wash Your Hands, continued

• After touching something that could be
  contaminated (such as a trash can, cleaning
  cloth, grain, or soil)
• Before dressing a wound, giving medicine or
  inserting contact lenses
• More often when someone is sick at home or at
  work
• Whenever they look or feel dirty

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How to Wash Your Hands

• Wet your hands and apply liquid, bar or powdered
  soap.
• Rub hands together vigorously to make a lather
  and scrub all surfaces.
• Continue for 20 seconds! It takes that long for
  soap and scrubbing action to dislodge and remove
  stubborn germs. Need a timer? Imagine singing
  "Happy Birthday" all the way through twice while
  you scrub.

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How to Wash Your Hands, continued

• Rinse hands well under running water.
• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer.
• If possible, use your paper towel to turn off
  the faucet.
• Remember if soap and water aren't available,
  use an alcohol-based wipe or hand gel.

For more information on washing hands,
visit http//www.cdc.gov/cleanhands
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Section 2

• Clean and Disinfect
• Surfaces

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Routinely Clean and Disinfect Surfaces
Cleaning and disinfecting are not the same thing.
Cleaning removes germs from surfaces whereas
disinfecting actually destroys them. Cleaning
with soap and water to remove dirt and most of
the germs is usually enough. But sometimes, you
may want to disinfect for an extra level of
protection from germs.
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Routinely Clean and Disinfect Surfaces, continued
While surfaces may look clean, many infectious
germs may be lurking around. In some instances,
germs can live on surfaces for hours and even
days.
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Routinely Clean and Disinfect Surfaces, continued
Disinfectants are specifically registered with
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and contain ingredients that actually destroy
bacteria and other germs. Check the product
label to make sure it says "Disinfectant" and has
an EPA registration number.
Sample EPA label.
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Routinely Clean and Disinfect Surfaces Cleaning
in the Kitchen
Clean and disinfect counters and other surfaces
before, during, and after preparing food
(especially meat and poultry). Follow all
directions on the disinfectant product label,
which usually specifies letting the disinfectant
stand for a few minutes.
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Routinely Clean and Disinfect Surfaces Cleaning
in the Kitchen, continued

• When cleaning surfaces, don't let germs hang
  around on cleaning clothes or towels. Use
• Paper towels that can be thrown away, or
• Cloth towels that are later washed in hot water,
  or
• Disposable sanitizing wipes that both clean and
  disinfect.

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Routinely Clean and Disinfect Surfaces Cleaning
in the Bathroom
Routinely clean and disinfect all surfaces in the
bathroom. This is especially important if
someone in the house or work area has a stomach
illness, a cold, or the flu.
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Section 3

• Clean the Food Preparation Area

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Food Preparation Area at Work and Home
Clean hands and surfaces often. Germs that cause
foodborne illness can be spread throughout the
kitchen and onto hands from cutting boards,
utensils, counter tops, and food.
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Food Preparation Area at Work and Home, continued

• Here's how to stop the spread of germs in the
  food preparation area
• Clean your hands with warm water and soap for at
  least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
  If soap and water are not available, use an
  alcohol-based wipe or hand gel.
• Consider using paper towels to clean food prep
  surfaces. If you use cloth towels, wash them
  often using the hot cycle of your washing
  machine.

• If using a sponge
• microwave it each evening for 30 seconds or
• place it in the dishwasher.

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Food Preparation Area at Work and Home, continued
Rinse all fresh fruits and vegetables under
running tap water. This includes those with
skins and rinds that are not eaten. For
firm-skinned fruits and vegetables, rub with your
hands or scrub with a clean vegetable brush while
rinsing.
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Food Preparation Area at Work and Home, continued

• Cross-contamination occurs when bacteria spread
  from a food to a surface, from a surface to
  another food, or from one food to another. You
  can help prevent cross-contamination when you
• Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs
  from other foods in your refrigerator.
• Use one cutting board for fresh produce, and a
  different one for raw meat, poultry and seafood.
• Never place cooked food on a plate that
  previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or
  eggs.

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Food Preparation Area at Work and Home, continued

• Don't allow juices from meat, seafood, poultry,
  or eggs to drip on other foods in the
  refrigerator. Use containers to keep these foods
  from touching other foods.
• Never re-use marinade that was used on raw food,
  unless you bring the used marinade to a boil
  first.

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Food Preparation Area at Work and Home, continued

• Never thaw meat on the countertop. Thaw it in
  the refrigerator.
• Purchase a food thermometer and cook meat and
  egg dishes to the internal temperatures shown
  below

For more information about cooking food to safe
temperatures, click on this U.S. Dept. of
Agriculture link http//www.fsis.usda.gov/Is_It_
Done_Yet/Brochure_Text/index.asp
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Section 4

• Use Antibiotics
• Appropriately

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Use Antibiotics Appropriately

• Antibiotics are powerful drugs used to treat
  certain bacterial infections and they should be
  taken exactly as prescribed by your health care
  provider.
• Antibiotics don't work against viruses such as
  colds and flu.
• If you are prescribed antibiotics, take all of
  the prescription, even after you start feeling
  better. Why? Because the few bacteria remaining
  in your system after you start feeling better, if
  exposed to inadequate levels of antibiotics, can
  quickly develop antibiotic resistance.

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Use Antibiotics Appropriately
Cartoon used by permission from nearingzero.com
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Section 5

• Get Immunized

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Immunizations
Getting immunizations is easy and low-cost, and
most importantly, it saves lives. Make sure you
and your children get the shots suggested by your
doctor or health care provider at the proper
time, and keep records of all immunizations.
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Immunizations, continued

• Children should get their first immunizations
  before they are 2 months old. They should have
  additional doses four or more times before their
  second birthday.
• Adults need tetanus and diphtheria boosters
  every 10 years. Shots are also often needed for
  protection from illnesses when traveling to other
  countries.
• Get your flu shot. The single best way to
  prevent the flu is to get vaccinated each fall.

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Immunizations, continued
Learn more about immunizations by clicking on the
links below. For more information on
immunizations, visithttp//www.cdc.gov/vaccines/
To learn about shots needed for travel,
visithttp//wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentVaccinati
ons.aspx
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Section 6

• Avoid Contact
• With
• Wild Animals

Photo of vampire bat from National Geographic
Educational Site
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Wild Animal Contact
Wild animals can carry diseases that are harmful
to you and your pets but there are simple
precautions you can take to avoid contact with a
variety of species.
Drawing U.S. Nat'l. Library of Medicine
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Wild Animal Contact

• Keep your house free of wild animals by not
  leaving any food around and keeping garbage cans
  sealed.
• Clear brush, grass and debris from around
  building foundations to get rid of possible
  nesting sites for mice and other rodents.
• Be sure to seal any entrance holes you discover
  in your house.
• Use insect repellent to prevent tick bites. Do
  a routine "tick check" after spending time
  outdoors. Ticks should be removed immediately
  with tweezers by applying gentle, steady pressure
  until they release their bite.

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Section 7

• Be Careful
• With Pets

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Be Careful with Pets
All pets should receive veterinarian care and
immunizations. Clean litter boxes daily
(pregnant women should NOT clean litter boxes).
Don't allow children to play where animals go to
the bathroom.
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Section 8

• Influenza (Flu)
• Precautions

Photo Testing facility at Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
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Influenza (Flu)
Illnesses like influenza (flu) and colds are
caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat,
and lungs. The flu and colds usually spread from
person to person when an infected person coughs
or sneezes.
Photo of influenza virus from Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
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Influenza (Flu) How to Help Stop the
Spread of Germs
Take care to point your face into your elbow area
when you sneeze or cough. Why? When you cover
your mouth with your hand while sneezing and
coughing, you transfer the germs to your palm.
When you shake hands or touch something, the
germs on your palm can contaminate someone else.
Dr. Mike Jackson, DOC Medical Director,
demonstrates how to cough and sneeze to avoid
spreading germs.
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Influenza (Flu) How to Help Stop the
Spread of Germs

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth when
  you are ill. Germs are often spread when a
  person touches something that is contaminated and
  then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs
  can live for a long time (some even 2 hours or
  more) on surfaces like doorknobs, desks and
  tables.
• Use adequate tissues when blowing your nose.
  Throw the tissues away and then wash your hands.
• (Use hand-washing procedures as explained in
  section 1 of this course.)

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Influenza (Flu) How to Help Stop the
Spread of Germs

• When you are sick or have flu symptoms, stay
  home, get plenty of rest, and check with a health
  care provider as needed. Remember that keeping
  your distance from others may protect them from
  catching your germs and getting sick. Common flu
  symptoms include
• Fever (usually high)
• Headache
• Cough and/or sore throat
• Fatigue and muscle aches
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

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Section 7

• Self-Test

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Self-Test
1. Rhinoviruses can cause athlete's foot.

• True
• False
• Click below for correct answer.

False. Rhinoviruses cause colds.
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Self-Test
2. Although viruses can harm people, all
bacteria are harmless and help the earth's
ecology.

• True
• False
• Click below for correct answer.

False. Bacteria can cause severe infections,
such as food poisoning.
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Self-Test
3. People can die from an infectious disease.

• True
• False
• Click below for correct answer.

True.
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Self-Test
4. You should rub your soapy hands together for
at least 10 seconds when washing your hands.

• True
• False
• Click below for correct answer.

False you should rub your soapy hands together
for at least 20 seconds, not 10.
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Self-Test
5. Wiping a counter with a wet sponge will
destroy germs.

• True
• False
• Click below for correct answer.

False without a disinfectant, germs will just
be moved from the counter to the sponge.
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Self-Test
6. Counters and other surfaces should be cleaned
and disinfected

• Before preparing food
• After preparing food
• Before, during and after preparing food
• Click below for correct answer.

"C" is the correct response.
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Self-Test
7. It's safe to thaw frozen meat on the
countertop.

• True
• False
• Click below for correct answer.

False. Meat should always be thawed in the
refrigerator.
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Self-Test
8. Antibiotics are used to treat virus
infections.

• True
• False
• Click below for correct answer.

False. Antibiotics are used to treat certain
bacterial infections. They don't work against
viruses.
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Self-Test
9. Wild animals can carry deadly diseases.

• True
• False
• Click below for correct answer.

True. Wild animals can carry deadly diseases
such as hantavirus, plague and rabies.
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Self-Test
10. The flu virus can enter and infect someone
through the person's nose, mouth, and eyes.

• True
• False
• Click below for correct answer.

True.