15 Reasons Why you Should Wash Your Hands

Washing hands to some people seems to be a waste of time,stressful or even not ‘allowed’ in some traditional cultures.This practices encourage the spread of pathogenic microorganisms which cause diseases and endanger the lives of several  people.We use our hands to do several activities like shaking hands,cooking,eating ,while bathing and several other activities.Now  you can imagine how we usually spread microorganisms using our hands.We should be very careful on how we use  our hands so that  we can stop the spread of pathogenic diseases.Here are 15 reasons why we should wash our hands.

1.To avoid contaminating food

Food contamination can be  put in three categories namely;Physical ,chemical and biological.

(i)Physical contaminants can be hair,glass,wood and metal etc.

(ii)Chemical contaminants include;pest control chemicals like pesticides and insecticides.Chemicals use for cleaning like detergents and other chemicals.

(iii)Biological contamination e.g microorganisms,rodents,insects like cockroaches and housefly.

2 .To avoid spreading worms to other people

Worms which are common in human being is tapeworm,flukes and round worms.This worms can be spread through hands and contaminated water when no proper cleanness is observed.

3.Avoiding contamination of water

When you don’t clean your hands there is possibility of passing microorganisms and other contaminants to water which is being used for domestic purposes or for drinking.This will endanger peoples health.

5.Promote healthy environment

When you ensure there is no pathogenic  microorganisms in your living environment you will be enjoying  a good environment without any health risk.

6.To prevent the microorganisms used by terrorists from spreading

In the past CDC had alerted the people about the possibility of terrorists using a strain of resistant anthrax and smallpox virus.For people to avoid this washing hands are just one of the measures among others.

7.Avoiding unnecessary cost in health

When you make sure you keep your hands clean every time you stop the contamination of food and your living environment hence you will not get sick regularly.

8.Stopping the spread of deadly diseases

The disease like cholera can kill several people within a short time.This disease can just be spread by not washing hands among other ways.

9.To be decent and orderly person

Washing hands boost your orderliness and portray your decency and organization as a person.

10.To reduce the chances of spreading the diseases to patients as the health care provider

Health care provides need to ensure they wash their hands regularly because they handle several patients with different diseases.

11.As a role model

When you wash your hands regularly you can become a role model to your younger brother,sister or your child.

12.Protecting your partner from contacting the diseases

Washing your hands shows that you care about your partner and therefore  ensuring he/she is safe and cannot be harmed by pathogenic microorganisms especially when  making love.

13.Ensuring you don’t transfer diseases to other paths of your body

Washing hands ensure protection from spreading the disease to other parts of your body.The best example is when you visit washing room and you don’t  wash your hands, you can easily transfer bacteria to other parts of the body where it can cause infection  e.g E.coli can cause infection in urinary tract.

14.Ensuring your family members are safe

When you consider washing hands as your habit it enhance the assurance of good health to your family members because it will reduce the risk of getting exposed to diseases.

15.Killing possibly pathogenic microorganisms

When you use antibacterial soaps like Dettol or Lifebuoy you reduce the pathogenic microorganisms.

Men Diagnosed with Zika to Abstain for 6 Months

The Zika virus continue to spread to other parts of the world latest being reported in Thailand among the 11 Southeast Asian countries affected by Zika.The new findings by French scientist have even shed more light about the potential of the Zika virus to be spread through sex though there is no prove yet

Initially CDC had given the recommendation of men abstaining from sex to be 8 weeks but due to the latest research the French scientist discover that there was Zika virus in the sperm of a man who was returning from French Guyana.This is worrying as Zika screening is not done in sperm donation fertility  centers.This might led to further spread of the disease even in fertility centers.The virus was found in the sperm not like before where it was found in semen only.The virus persisted for more than two months in sperms and approximately four months in semen.

This finding alerted the CDC to change their earlier recommendation of abstaining from sex from 8 weeks to 6 months.

Imifi

The word Imifi is an acronym for the Intelligent Microorganism from Infidelity.It is used as a character in scientific fiction stories.This character is given magical powers.It can reason more than human.Is able to observe what human is doing.Very intelligent.The character represents the microorganisms.It challenges human despite their small size.

Drugs That can inhibit Zika Virus Identified

The scientists  led by Dr.Wei Zheng (NCATS) and others from Johns Hopkins University and Florida State University tested 6000 compounds using drug-screening  robots.They were trying to find the compounds which are effective against Zika virus.Some of these compounds provided a positive results.Among the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, 9 of them proved to be promising while seliciclib was the best.CDKs are important in regulating the cellular processes and normal brain development.

The emricasan and PHA-690509 prevented both virus replication and cell death.These two were the best agents which can provide treatment for Zika virus.

The researchers are now studying the virus using the mouse model before being proved to be used.

7 Facts About Microorganisms

Microorganisms are found in every habitat in nature.Some  are of beneficial to human and other animals but others are pathogenic and therefore cause diseases.The following are facts about microorganisms:

  • Microorganisms causes more than 9o% of diseases(pathogenic)

Several diseases which has hound human race for long time is caused by microorganisms eg,Leprosy,which is the oldest compared to the most recent like Zika,Ebola and HIV/AIDS.Others include Meningitis and Yellow fever the list is long.

  • They help human and animals in several ways i.e digestion of food in the gut,used in some industries to ferment  milk and others are used in manufacturing industries.They also play a role in breaking down of dead organisms.
  • They are the most abundant spicies on Earth
  • Their rate of mutation is so high that they become resistant to drugs within a shortest time.
  • Its hard to be eradicated hence has became nuisance to human beings and animals appearing and disappearing.
  • Vaccines are commonly used to prevent its spread.
  • Alcohol is the most effective used agent to kill microorganisms

Opioid Abuse Affect Newborn Babies in U.S

The study of nearly 30 million births across 28 states have shown that there is increase in the condition known as neonatal abstinence syndrome which is associated with newborn babies.This condition is caused by the abuse of opioid which include painkillers such as Oxycontin,vicodin,percocet and other illegal opioid i.e heroin by the mothers.

The newborn with neonatal abstinence syndrome experience opioid withdrawal symptoms like high-pitched crying ,increase muscle tone ,tremors and seizures.Babies experiencing the disease have trouble when feeding and also body temperature fluctuation.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome has recently increased in U.S across the states West Virginia being the worst hit while Hawaii having the lowest neonataal abstinence syndrome

26 People Infected with Escherichia coli in 21 States

Flour produced by General  Mills in Kansas City, Missouri, has been linked to cause infection of Escherichia coli strains (E.coli 0121 or E.coli 026).People get ill after eating raw dough  or raw batter.Several children reported playing with raw dough at restaurants get sick.

Eating raw dough and raw batter has been linked to illness and outbreaks  in the past.As investigation by CDC is on going this is the first multistate outbreak of E.coli infection linked to flour.

Zika Vaccine Might be Available Soon

Scientists from U.S has found out that three different experimental vaccines for Zika virus are safe and effective in monkeys.Although the human trial have not yet been done the researchers say the results in monkeys is a major step towards making the vaccines.Monkeys have always been used as the best models to gauge the effectiveness of the vaccines and its safety to human.

In the research carried out by Dr.Dan  Barouch(among others)who is the director in Center for Virology and Vaccines Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston,they immunized rhesus monkeys with three different experimental vaccines.One is known as Purified Inactivated Virus(PIV) which contained a killed Zika virus.This is the  common way to create a vaccine.The other two are new approaches:DNA Vaccine and Vector Vaccine which so far have not been approved.It uses a modified cold virus to introduce Zika proteins to the immune system.

During the study,the three turned out to trigger the monkey’s immune system to produce Zika-fighting antibodies.All the three protected the animals from infection whenever they were exposed to the virus.

Zika epidemic has been declared by World Health Organization public health emergency hence the need for development of the vaccine.Latin American is the most affected by the virus,Brazil having the majority of the infection.Some cases reported in Florida recently has caused alarm in U.S therefore development of Zika vaccine will be a big relieve.

Zika Virus reported in Antigua and Barbuda

Zika virus has been reported in Antigua and Barbuda regions.With local mosquitoes transmission of the virus, the people in the region are at risk of being infected.The symptoms of the virus include ;fever,joint pain,rash and red eyes.

CDC has given recommendation to guide in preventing the spread of the disease between the people within the region and those traveling to the region.

      Measures To Stop The Spread of Zika Virus

  • Preventing mosquito bites by:-covering exposed skin by wearing long sleeved shirts and pants ,use EPA registered insect repellents containing DEET ,picaridin,oil of lemon eucalyptus and should be used as directed by the manufacturer.
  •  Permethrin-treated clothing and gear should be used.
  •  Mosquito nets should be used always when sleeping.
  • If possible stay in places with air conditioning with windows and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
  • Avoid sex or use condoms
  • Women who are pregnant should not travel to Antigua and Barbuda

Although many people who are infected with Zika virus do not show signs of sickness it can lead or trigger Guillain-Barre Syndrome(GBS) which is a rare disorder which can cause muscle weakness and paralysis for  weeks to even several months.Most people however recover from GBS but some have permanent damage.