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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staff
Hand washing
Good hygiene, particularly thorough and frequent hand washing, is the best way to prevent the spread of shigella infection. Follow these instructions:
- Wet your hands with warm, running water and apply liquid or clean bar soap. Lather well.
- Rub your hands vigorously together for at least 15 seconds.
- Scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
- Rinse well.
- Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel.
- Use a towel to turn off the faucet.
It's especially important to wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers and before preparing food. If soap and water aren't available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Commercially prepared hand sanitizers contain ingredients that help prevent skin dryness, so they may be less drying than soap and water and may kill germs better. Be sure the product you use contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
Additional preventive actions
Other measures you can take to prevent the spread of shigella infection:
- Supervise small children when they wash their hands.
- Dispose of soiled diapers properly.
- Disinfect diaper-changing areas after use.
- Don't prepare food for others if you have diarrhea.
- Keep children with diarrhea home from child care, play groups or school.
