Key result
Treating HAV-contaminated fingerpads with water, topical agents, or alcohol before touching lettuce significantly reduced the amount of infectious virus transferred from 9.2% to between 0.3% and 0.6%.
Why the study?
Do hand hygiene pretreatments reduce the transfer of Hepatitis A virus from contaminated fingerpads to food?
Population
Adult volunteers (artificially contaminated fingerpads)
Comparison
Hand hygiene pretreatments including hard-water… vs No pretreatment
Design
Preclinical
Authors
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May support hygiene to limit HAV food transfer in models; leaves open translation to human practice.
Do hand hygiene pretreatments reduce the transfer of Hepatitis A virus from contaminated fingerpads to food?
Effect estimate: up to 30-fold reduction
p-value: p=<0.05
Hand hygiene interventions, including simple water rinsing or alcohol-based gels, significantly reduce the transfer of Hepatitis A virus from contaminated hands to food.
Bidawid et al. (2000) studied Healthy volunteers (simulating food handlers) (n=11). Handwashing with water, topical agents, or alcohol vs. No hand treatment was evaluated on Percentage of infectious HAV transferred to lettuce (up to 30-fold reduction, p=<0.05). Treating HAV-contaminated fingerpads with water, topical agents, or alcohol before touching lettuce significantly reduced the amount of infectious virus transferred from 9.2% to between 0.3% and 0.6%.
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