7 steps of hand hygiene

Key facts

People often get sick when they make contact with germs from feces (poop) on their hands

Feces (poop) from people or animals is an important source of germs like Salmonella,E.

coli O157, and norovirus that cause diarrhea, and it can spread some respiratory infections like adenovirus and hand-foot-mouth disease. These kinds of germs can get onto hands after people use the toilet or change a diaper, but also in less obvious ways, like after handling raw meats that have invisible amounts of animal poop on them.

A single gram of human feces—which is about the weight of a paper clip—can contain one trillion germs.

Wash your hands before and after

Germs can also get onto hands if people touch any object that has germs on it because someone coughed or sneezed on it or was touched by some other contaminated object. When these germs get onto hands and are not washed off, they can be passed from person to person and make people sick.

Washing hands prevents illnesses and spread of infections to others

Handwashing with soap removes germs from hands.

This helps prevent infectio

when washing hands what is the minimum time