Handwashing habits have not changed: the survey is in
Bradley Corporation, leading manufacture of commercial bathroom and locker room furnishings, released a national survey confirming H1N1 virus has not changed handwashing habits of Americans. Approximately 54 per cent of surveyed individuals said they “wash their hands no more or less frequently” since H1N1 flu virus has emerged.
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Jon Dommisse, Bradley Corporation’s director of marketing and product development said, “we were extremely surprised by that response especially since the medical community calls hand washing the best defense against the spread of cold and flu viruses.”
Handwashing is recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Washing your hands “is a simple thing to do and it’s the best way to prevent infection and illness.”
The online survey was administered July 28-31 to 1,020 Americans regarding handwashing in public restrooms. Individuals were from across the country, equally male and female, and ranged from 18-65+ years old.
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/admin/trackback/152510
I was trying to find the story sent out by BITES about the IOWA Vet and Antibiotics to make a comment, then this story seemed more relevant. So here is my comment:
The IOWA Vet incorrectly assigns antibiotic resistance to antibacterial soap. Antibacterial soap is antibacterial because of the soap (no antibacterial drugs are present in the product. That's why the first line of defense is to wash your hands. And..., to the best of my knowledge, soap does not cause antibacterial resistance!
I have no idea what Rod Costain is referencing, but "antibacterial soaps" (in the US at least) contain triclosan, which is indeed an antibiotic and antifungal agent. It is not merely soap in these products.
Per handwashing, I've always washed my hands more than anyone in my workplace. If I washed any more, I'd end up w/cracked skin and higher susceptibility to infections of various sorts. So this is why my habits haven't changed.
The Iowa Veterinarian was absolutely correct. The CDC has reported on the subject. As far as handwashing goes, the primary mechanism for disinfection is mechanical, not chemical. That being said, I will enclose a link to the CDC article.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol7no3_supp/levy.htm