Two groups will be examined in this study: health care workers with HE and matched controls invited through a questionnaire study which will be sent to approximately 4000 health care workers in Capital Region. Samples from health care workers with and without hand eczema will be collected after obtaining their written informed consent. Collection of samples: Swabs will be rubbed on the skin for 30 seconds on lesional and non-lesional skin on the dominating hand and from the nostrils. The swabs will immediately be stored in -80 C° (research biobank) for subsequent analysis at Statens Serum Institute.
This project aims to investigate the prevalence of bacterial colonization and associated factors in health care workers with hand eczema with focus on Staphylococcus aureus.