Dec 20th: Environmental contamination following flushing of toilets contaminated with Clostridium difficile spores
A new study shows that toilets contaminated with C difficile spores are a persistent source of environmental contamination over an extended number of flushes.
Dec 14th: How capitalism has ruined our relationship with bacteria
There are many rational reasons why consumers spend huge sums on household cleaning products, but non-rational mechanisms are nevertheless still at work.
Nov 23rd Comparison of the efficacy of three hand drying methods
This study compared the efficacy of using paper towels (PT), warm air dryers (WAD) and jet air dryers (JAD) after hand washing in terms of microbiological effectiveness and potential for dispersal of pathogens.
Sept 21st: Developing an evidence-based approach to domestic hygiene which protects against infection whilst also addressing sustainability issues
In developing and promoting hygiene, issues which represent a barrier to change need to be addressed and balanced against the need for effective hygiene. These include environmental and toxicity issues, concerns about antibiotic resistance, and whether we have become “too clean”.
Sept 17th: How norovirus spreads Trojan horse style
Whereas it was always assumed that viruses were most effective at spreading illness by attacking human cells as individual virus particles, new research demonstrates that viral particles concealed in a membrane can mount a much more potent attack on individual human cells.