Germs (e.g. bacteria, viruses, spores etc) live in or on some parts of the body (e.g. skin, mouth, intestinal tract) and are known as the body’s normal flora. Normal skin flora is present on the skin continuously, and is essential for good health. These germs rarely cause infection and are difficult to remove by normal hand hygiene techniques, although the numbers of germs will be reduced by this process. Not all upon our skin are normal flora, many germs are passed on from other people, or the environment, and these germs are known as transient. These do not live permanently on the skin and are readily removed or destroyed by thorough and frequent hand washing. These germs have the ability to cause illness, and so effective and thorough hand washing is vitally important both among staff and learnerlearners alike. The reservoirs of infection A reservoir of infection is anything in which a germ normally lives and multiplies. The reservoir typically harbours the germ without injury to itself and serves as a source from which others can be infected. Examples of reservoirs of germs may be people, the environment, equipment, food or animals. For example an individual with diarrhoea may act as a source of infection to others because the germs are present in some faeces and can be passed on to others. Point of entry Every germ needs to have an entry point into the human body; different germs have different ways of achieving this. For example, Salmonella bacteria need to enter the body through the mouth. Tuberculosis enters our bodies through the nose and mouth and then passes into the lungs and other parts of the body. Hepatitis B virus can enter the body via the bloodstream or mucous membranes. Point of exit As well as needing an entry point, germs also need an exit point. Salmonella
Germs (e.g. bacteria, viruses, spores etc) live in or on some parts of the body (e.g. skin, mouth, intestinal tract) and are known as the body’s normal flora. Normal skin flora is present on the skin continuously, and is essential for good health. These germs rarely cause infection and are difficult to remove by normal hand hygiene techniques, although the numbers of germs will be reduced by this process. Not all upon our skin are normal flora, many germs are passed on from other people, or the environment, and these germs are known as transient. These do not live permanently on the skin and are readily removed or destroyed by thorough and frequent hand washing. These germs have the ability to cause illness, and so effective and thorough hand washing is vitally important both among staff and learnerlearners alike. The reservoirs of infection A reservoir of infection is anything in which a germ normally lives and multiplies. The reservoir typically harbours the germ without injury to itself and serves as a source from which others can be infected. Examples of reservoirs of germs may be people, the environment, equipment, food or animals. For example an individual with diarrhoea may act as a source of infection to others because the germs are present in some faeces and can be passed on to others. Point of entry Every germ needs to have an entry point into the human body; different germs have different ways of achieving this. For example, Salmonella bacteria need to enter the body through the mouth. Tuberculosis enters our bodies through the nose and mouth and then passes into the lungs and other parts of the body. Hepatitis B virus can enter the body via the bloodstream or mucous membranes. Point of exit As well as needing an entry point, germs also need an exit point. Salmonella
All-Wales-Infection-Prevention-and-Control-Guidance-for-Educational-Settings_FINALMay-2017x.docx