FECAL CONTAMINATION ON CHILDRENS HANDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SURFACES IN PRIMARY-SCHOOLS IN LEEDS

Gastro-intestinal diseases continue to be a major health problem in pr imary schools in the UK. This study, which took place in 20 primary sc hools in the Leeds area, investigated the presence of faecal indicator bacteria on children's hands and environmental surfaces. Faecal strep tococci mere used as an indicator of faecal contamination. A handwashi ng knowledge score was developed for each child. Those children with g ood hygiene knowledge had less faecal contamination on their hands (re lative risk: 1.4, 95% CI = 1.09-1.81, P = 0.005). Those schools with h igher hand counts were more likely to have had a reported outbreak of gastroenteritis in the past. Values of the Townsend Deprivation Index, an indicator of deprivation, were compared with the hand results and those schools in high deprivation areas had higher hand counts. Of the swabs taken from surfaces in the toilet areas and classrooms, the car pets in the classrooms were the most frequently contaminated surfaces.