In the general public ‘ s perception, there is often a misperception that infections transmitted through the digestive tract can be completely avoided by washing hands before eating. It is true that hand-washing before meals is an extremely important part of preventing the spread of infection in the digestive tract, but it is by no means the only decisive factor, and there are many other aspects that require our attention and prevention.
Hand-washing before meals can effectively remove the bacteria contaminated with the hands and significantly reduce the risk of “disease from mouth”. In our daily activities, our hands are exposed to a variety of objects, such as the hand-lifting of public transport, elevator buttons, door-knobs, etc., which tend to gather a large number of bacteria and viruses. If hands are not washed, they eat directly, and the pathogen on hand can easily enter the mouth as food enters, leading to infection in the gastrointestinal tract. For example, the NORI virus is a common, indigestion-borne virus that survives on the surface of an object for a long time, and when people come into contact with contaminated objects and eat when their hands are washed in time, there is a high risk of exposure to the NORI virus, leading to vomiting, diarrhoea, etc.
However, hand-washing alone prior to meals will not completely eliminate the infection transmitted through the digestive tract. Food sources and processes have a key impact on the risk of infection. If the food consumed is itself contaminated by pathogens such as coli, salmonella and other vegetable fruits (which may originate in contaminated soil, water sources or be contaminated during extraction, transport) it is difficult to avoid infection even if hand washing is done before eating. Some uncooked meat foods may carry parasites, such as larvae and bowworms, which, after being born in the intestinal tract, rob humans of their nutrition and cause abdominal pain, diarrhoea and anaemia. There are also degenerative foods in which fungus, bacterial toxins, such as aflatoxin, may cause serious damage to organs such as the liver, even in small quantities, and where hand washing does not allow for such risks.
Water is also an important source of infection in the digestive tract. If drinking water is contaminated with pathogenic micro-organisms such as the cholera fungus, jadi lashes, etc., it causes the corresponding digestive tract diseases. Contamination of water sources is more common in areas with poor sanitation, and people may become infected with intestinal infectious diseases on a large scale by drinking unpurified water. Even if individuals are used to washing their hands before eating, they are unable to escape the threat of indigent infections if the safety of overall drinking water is not guaranteed.
In addition, the cleaning of dishes should not be overlooked. If the dishes are not properly cleaned and disinfected, the remaining fungi enters the body at the next meal. For example, if the utensils shared by many are not thoroughly cleaned, they can easily become vectors for the transmission of the cyanobacteria. The fungus, which is closely related to the occurrence of chronic stomach inflammation, ulcer and even stomach cancer, can survive on the surface of a meal for some time, and can be infected when people use these contaminated foods for food.
In everyday life, insects such as flies and cockroaches are also potential agents for the transmission of infections through digestive tracts. These pests often stay on dirty things such as garbage and faeces, carrying a large amount of fungi, which spread to food when they climb and lay eggs. If food contaminated with pests is consumed, even when hand washes before eating, the disease is infected, causing diseases such as diarrhoea and enteritis.
The prevention of infection through digestive tract transmission is a multi-stage system project. While hand-washing before meals is essential, it is also necessary to ensure that food sources are safe, that drinking water is clean, that food is hygienic, and that there is also a need to combat the cockroaches. Only a comprehensive consideration and implementation of the various stages of prevention can truly effectively reduce the risk of infectious transmission in the digestive tract and protect our health.
