For years we have been told by the scientific community that hand washing is a key factor in preventing disease. Since childhood, we have been educated by our parents to wash our hands whenever we may be exposed to microorganisms. We regularly wash our hands before meals, after touching dirty surfaces, after petting animals, and of course after touching sick individuals. Nowadays microbiologists and physicians are regularly appearing in the media to educate the public about the importance of hand washing for the prevention of foodborne and airborne diseases.
While the arguments for hands washing do make sense, especially after considering the enormous scientific knowledge and accumulated data about diseases, it is still not clear that these precautions are definitely helping in actually preventing their spread.
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