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DOI: 10.3201/eid1704.101353
Suggested citation for this article: Talaat M, Afifi S, Dueger E, El-Ashry N, Marfin A, Kandeel A, et al. Effects of hand hygiene campaigns on incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza and absenteeism in schoolchildren, Cairo, Egypt. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Apr; [Epub ahead of print]
Effects of Hand Hygiene Campaigns on Incidence of Laboratory-confirmed Influenza and Absenteeism in Schoolchildren, Cairo, Egypt
Maha Talaat, Salma Afifi, Erica Dueger, Nagwa El-Ashry, Anthony Marfin, Amr Kandeel, Ehmad Mohareb, and Nasr El-Sayed
Author affiliations: US Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3 (NAMRU-3), Cairo (M. Talaat, S. Afifi, E. Dueger, A. Marfin, E. Mohareb); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (E. Dueger, A. Marfin); and Ministry of Health, Cairo, Egypt (N. El-Ashry, A. Kandeel, N. El-Sayed)
To evaluate the effectiveness of an intensive hand hygiene campaign on reducing absenteeism caused by to influenza-like illness (ILI), diarrhea, conjunctivitis, and laboratory-confirmed influenza, we conducted a randomized control trial in 60 elementary schools in Cairo, Egypt. Children in the intervention schools were required to wash hands twice daily, and health messages were provided through entertainment activities; Data were collected on student absenteeism and reasons for illness. School nurses collected nasal swabs from students with ILI, which were tested by using a qualitative diagnostic test for influenza A and B. Compared with results for the control group, in the intervention group, overall absences caused by ILI decreased (reduced 40%, p<0.0001), diarrhea (reduced 30%, p<0.0001), conjunctivitis (reduced 67%, p<0.0001), and laboratory-confirmed influenza (reduced 50%, p<0.0001). An intensive hand hygiene campaign was effective in reducing absenteeism caused by these illnesses.
full article
Suggested citation for this article: Talaat M, Afifi S, Dueger E, El-Ashry N, Marfin A, Kandeel A, et al. Effects of hand hygiene campaigns on incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza and absenteeism in schoolchildren, Cairo, Egypt. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Apr; [Epub ahead of print]
Effects of Hand Hygiene Campaigns on Incidence of Laboratory-confirmed Influenza and Absenteeism in Schoolchildren, Cairo, Egypt
Maha Talaat, Salma Afifi, Erica Dueger, Nagwa El-Ashry, Anthony Marfin, Amr Kandeel, Ehmad Mohareb, and Nasr El-Sayed
Author affiliations: US Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3 (NAMRU-3), Cairo (M. Talaat, S. Afifi, E. Dueger, A. Marfin, E. Mohareb); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (E. Dueger, A. Marfin); and Ministry of Health, Cairo, Egypt (N. El-Ashry, A. Kandeel, N. El-Sayed)
To evaluate the effectiveness of an intensive hand hygiene campaign on reducing absenteeism caused by to influenza-like illness (ILI), diarrhea, conjunctivitis, and laboratory-confirmed influenza, we conducted a randomized control trial in 60 elementary schools in Cairo, Egypt. Children in the intervention schools were required to wash hands twice daily, and health messages were provided through entertainment activities; Data were collected on student absenteeism and reasons for illness. School nurses collected nasal swabs from students with ILI, which were tested by using a qualitative diagnostic test for influenza A and B. Compared with results for the control group, in the intervention group, overall absences caused by ILI decreased (reduced 40%, p<0.0001), diarrhea (reduced 30%, p<0.0001), conjunctivitis (reduced 67%, p<0.0001), and laboratory-confirmed influenza (reduced 50%, p<0.0001). An intensive hand hygiene campaign was effective in reducing absenteeism caused by these illnesses.
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