Hand sanitizer doesn't kill E.coli: General Health

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

According to a 4th grade girl in Olympia, Washington, hand sanitizer does not kill E. coli.

Quote:

Health officials have promoted the use of hand sanitizers to help fight outbreaks of diseases and germs, but experts say it doesn't work on everything. Now, an Olympia fourth grader says she can prove it doesn't work on E.coli.

You can read the full article here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36674732

Ziggy · **Site Rank:** Healthy BBF

Wow, that's nice to know. Also that article said:

Quote:

The Vernons say they have no bone to pick with Purell, but were surprised to learn it doesn't kill one of the main dangers associated with exposures from using bathrooms.

A CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) spokesperson says they have not studied hand sanitizers specifically on E.coli and recommend using hand sanitizers only when soap and water are not available.

joebert · **Site Rank:** Moderator

Here I thought E. Coli was something you only get from undercooked or mishandled food, especially beef.

tammy · **Site Rank:** Site Admin

joebert wrote:

Here I thought E. Coli was something you only get from undercooked or mishandled food, especially beef.

You are right, but E. coli can also be passed from person to person.

However, more serious E. coli infection is often linked to food containing the bacteria. The person eats the contaminated food and gets sick.

Here are some foods that can cause E. coli poisoning:

undercooked ground beef
vegetables grown in cow manure or washed in contaminated water
fruit juice that isn't pasteurized (pasteurization is a process that uses heat to kill germs)

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