This page is dedicated to the simple concept of germ warfare. It is Us against the Germs. The movie CONTACT starring Dustin Hoffman opens with a quote, “The single greatest threat to man on this planet is the virus”. No statement could be more accurate and more pertinent to our daily lives. Germs, really microoragnisms and viruses, exist everywhere and the most prominent vehicles for transmission from one person to another is via touch and the respiratory tract.

If any surface is swiped with a sterile cotton tip and then cultured on a Petri dish, the growth would amaze most people. Imagine what is conceived to be the dirtiest part of a bathroom. In fact, it is the handles on the sink! Human hands and skin transmit an enormous variety of microbes and viruses. So, the critical take home point is effective, consistent hand washing prior to eating or touching any mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth) will reduce transmission of infectious disease by more than 85%.