The infection potential in the home and the role of hygiene: historical and current perspectives

International Journal of Environmental Health Research
R Stanwell-Smith

Abstract

The control of infection through hygiene has a long erratic history. Personal hygiene and handwashing was less appreciated in the past, since it was not known that invisible organisms could spread from apparently clean hands and surfaces. The role of a hygienic home environment received little attention until the 19th century. Since then, the modern tradition of hygiene has served us well, with improved water and drainage developing alongside vaccination, antibiotics, water purification, improved food production and hygienic food preparation and storage. Two major epidemiological trends are relevant to hygiene perspectives: the decline in the morbidity and mortality from infection, and the transition towards higher levels of chronic or debilitating disease. While mortality from some infections has decreased, communicable disease is no less prevalent. Infectious intestinal disease is still unacceptably high in both developed and developing countries. The control of infection within the home needs to take account of changing epidemiological trends, emphasis on evidence-based approaches and loss of public awareness of the role of hygiene. In earlier eras lack of research on the home environment prevented sufficient attention to in...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1976·American Journal of Public Health·E V MorseB O Blackburn
Jul 1, 1993·The Journal of Applied Bacteriology·G S MorenoR W Park
Jun 1, 1996·Epidemiology and Infection·G ScuderiM P Anastasio
Jun 1, 1996·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·M E HaganD McGregor
Jan 27, 1997·Archives of Internal Medicine·P S MeadE Mintz
Nov 21, 1997·Emerging Infectious Diseases·J A Lindsay
May 5, 1999·Lancet·P M EmersonR L Bailey
Jul 8, 2000·International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics : the Official Organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics·S Sheth
Nov 15, 2000·Lancet·V Navarro
Jul 18, 2001·American Journal of Preventive Medicine·J C Gaydos
Jan 11, 2002·Blood·Jonathan S HarrisonPersis Bandari
Feb 2, 2002·BMJ : British Medical Journal·John M Cowden
Mar 21, 2002·The Lancet Oncology·Dinesh C Sharma
Apr 3, 2002·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Akitoye O CokerC Larry Obi

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

May 31, 2003·International Journal of Environmental Health Research·S F Bloomfield, E A Scott
Jul 30, 2005·Child Neuropsychology : a Journal on Normal and Abnormal Development in Childhood and Adolescence·Melissa A MatsonT Andrew Zabel
Nov 1, 2007·Journal of Food Protection·Ginny MooreDavid A McDowell
Jul 31, 2021·Clinical Optometry·Susarah Maria Richter, Tobias George Barnard

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Antifungals

An antifungal, also known as an antimycotic medication, is a pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycosis such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis, cryptococcal meningitis, and others. Discover the latest research on antifungals here.

Antifungals (ASM)

An antifungal, also known as an antimycotic medication, is a pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycosis such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis, cryptococcal meningitis, and others. Discover the latest research on antifungals here.