Contact the Amarillo Public Health Department
1411 Amarillo Blvd. E.
(806) 351-7220

Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) recommends the following procedure for thorough handwashing:

Wet hands with warm running water.
Apply handwashing agent (soap) and thoroughly distribute over hands.
Vigorously rub hands together for 10 to 15 seconds, generating friction on all surfaces of the hands and fingers, including thumbs, backs of fingers, backs of the hands, and beneath the fingernails.
Rinse hands thoroughly to remove residual soap then dry using paper towels dispensed from holders that require the user to remove them one at a time.
If the sink does not have foot controls or an automatic shutoff, a paper towel may be used to shut off the faucet to avoid recontaminating the hands.
While there is little evidence to recommend a specific ideal water temperature for effective handwashing, it seems logical to use warm water. Excessively hot water is harder on the skin, dries the skin, and is too uncomfortable to wash for the recommended amount of time. In addition, cold water inhibits the proper lathering of soap.

When using an alcohol-based antimicrobial cleaner, APIC recommends that a vigorous, one-minute rubbing with enough alcohol (3-5ml is generally recommended) to wet the hands completely is the most effective method for hand antisepsis. Failure to cover all surfaces of the hands because of poor technique or use of insufficient amounts of alcohol handrub solution can leave surfaces contaminated. Also, keep in mind that these alcohol handrubs are not designed to remove physical dirt, and therefore should be used with another cleaning agent in the presence of physical dirt.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "handwashing is the single most important procedure for preventing the spread of infection."

Recently, doctors in Texas have been seeing an increasing number of patients with skin infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (“Staph”) bacteria that are resistant to many antibiotics (drugs that kill bacteria), also called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—”MRSA.”
The Texas Department of State Health Services is working with doctors and other healthcare providers to better understand why this is happening and how to prevent antibiotic (drug) resistant Staph/MRSA skin infections from spreading.
What is a Staph/MRSA skin infection?
It can be a pimple, rash, boil, or an open wound.
Staph/MRSA is often misdiagnosed as spider bites. Staph bacteria are commonly found on the skin of healthy persons. Staph/MRSA infections
often begin with an injury to the skin.
Symptoms of a Staph infection include
redness, warmth, swelling, tenderness of
the skin, and boils or blisters. Sometimes it does not cause any problems; sometimes it causes minor infections, such as pimples or boils. If left untreated,
it can cause serious skin infections or worse.
How do Staph skin infections spread?
Staph/MRSA lives on skin and survives
on objects for 24 hours or more.
The cleanest person can get a Staph/MRSA infection. Antibiotic- resistant Staph/MRSA skin infections are found in places where there are crowds of people (schools, jails, gyms). Staph/ MRSA can rub off the skin of an infected person onto the skin of another person during skin to skin contact. Or, the Staph can come off of the infected skin of a person onto a shared object or surface, and get onto the skin of the next person who uses it. Examples of commonly shared
objects include towels, soap, benches
in hot tubs, and athletic equipment—
in other words, anything that could
have touched the skin of a Staph
infected person can carry the bacteria
to the skin of another person.
www.idcu.org/health/texsas
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How can I prevent myself or my family
members from getting infected?
Wash your hands with soap and warm water.
Keep cuts and scrapes clean with
soap and water. Avoid skin contact
and sharing personal items with
anyone you suspect could have a Staph skin infection. When using protective gloves to treat infected area, remove and dispose of properly; wash your hands with soap and water after removing them. Do not share personal items with other persons who might have skin infections.
What should I do if I think I have a skin infection?
Consult your doctor or
healthcare provider.
If you think that you have a skin infection, consult your doctor or healthcare provider as soon as possible. Early treatment can help prevent the infection from getting worse. Be sure to follow directions from your doctor or healthcare provider closely, even when you start to feel better. Not taking all of your pills leads to stronger, antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
If my doctor or healthcare provider has told me that I have a Staph/MRSA skin infection, what can I do to keep others from getting infected?
Clean your bandages, your hands, and your home.
Keep the infected area covered with clean, dry bandages. Pus from infected wound is very infectious.
Wash your hands frequently with soap and
warm water, especially after changing your
bandages or touching the infected skin.
Regularly clean your bathroom, kitchen, and all other rooms, as well as your personal items. Wash clothes and other items that become soiled with hot water or bleach, when possible. Drying clothes in a hot dryer, rather than air-drying, also helps kill bacteria in clothes.
Tell any healthcare providers who treat you that you have an antibiotic-resistant Staph/MRSA skin infection.