FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2005
CONTACTS:
William Fisher
NSF International
Phone: (734) 827-6824
Email: fisher@nsf.org
Matt Lindstrom
Olson
Phone: (612) 215-7272
Email: mlindstrom@oco.com
NSF Releases Top Ten Places Germs Lurk in Schools
Scrub Club™ Website Helps Fight Influenza Enzo
Listen to audio segment
ANN ARBOR, MICH. - With the cold and influenza season right around the corner, it's more important than ever to know where germs are hiding in schools. That's why NSF International today released a list of the Top Ten Places Germs Lurk in Schools, which was developed by NSF scientists who collected bacterial samples directly from actual classrooms.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 million sick days are lost each year to the common cold alone. With even more serious concerns over influenza and the avian flu, NSF International wanted to illustrate where germs were located by collecting a range of bacterial samples from surfaces kids come in contact with everyday.
The classroom experiment in two typical Michigan elementary schools was designed to:
- determine what educators and school cleaning crews need to be on-the-lookout for when protecting kids from germs in the schools.
- educate families and teachers about a new public service website (www.scrubclub.org) designed to focus on handwashing as a simple, yet highly effective way of fighting infectious and foodborne illness.
The following are the results on where germs hide:
| Sample Location |
Total Aerobic Bacteria per Square Inch (Colony Forming Units / in2) |
| Drinking Water Fountain Spigot (classroom) | 2,700,000 CFU/in2 |
| Water Fountain Spigot (cafeteria) | 62,000 CFU/in2 |
| Plastic Reusable Cafeteria Tray | 33,800 CFU/in2 |
| Faucet (cold water handle) | 32,000 CFU/in2 |
| Faucet (hot water handle) | 18,000 CFU/in2 |
| Cafeteria Plate | 15,800 CFU/in2 |
| Keyboard (classroom) | 3,300 CFU/in2 |
| Toilet Seat | 3,200 CFU/in2 |
| Student's Hand | 1,500 CFU/in2 |
| Animal Cage | 1,200 CFU/in2 |
Surprisingly, there were actually more germs found on an average classroom water fountain spigot than there were on a toilet seat. "Although these findings are a snapshot in time at these particular schools, the results reveal that we all need to be vigilant about sanitizing those hard-to-reach areas in schools that people may forget to clean," said Robert Donofrio, a microbiologist who directs NSF's Microbiology Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The NSF Scrub Club™ (www.scrubclub.org) is a fun and educational public service program designed to educate children, families and educators about the importance of handwashing to wash away germs and help prevent the onset and spread of infectious diseases and foodborne illnesses.
Each of the Scrub Club™ "soaper-heroes" represents one of the six steps in the handwashing process:
"Hot Shot" and "Chill" combine to make the warm water essential for proper handwashing; "Squeaks" turns into various forms of soap; "Taki" becomes a clock that counts down the required 20 seconds for proper handwashing; "Scruff" reminds kids to clean around their nails; "Tank" turns into a sink to rinse away the germs; and "P.T." transforms into paper towels.
Stop Fluin' Around
A key message the Scrub Club™ soaper-heroes deliver to kids this flu season is to "Stop Fluin' Around." "Stop Fluin' Around" is an interactive game that features an evil villain, "Influenza Enzo." He teaches children how the flu is spread and how to prevent it.
Scrub Club™ visitors can access free downloadable materials, such as a Scrub Club™ membership card, a wanted poster of "Influenza Enzo" (for causing sniffles, sneezes and headaches), a Scrub Club™ sticker sheet, clean hands activities that are fun learning tools and much much more.
The cornerstone of the Web site is a "Webisode" featuring the Scrub Club as they join forces to fight off harmful germs and bacteria, teaching children the proper way to wash their hands along the way. The first "Webisode," "The Good, the BAC, and the Ugly," finds the Scrub Club battling the loathsome, but loveable character BAC (from the Partnership for Food Safety Education's Fight BAC! food safety public education campaign), and one of his partners in "grime" Sal Monella in a wild-west themed adventure. The Partnership for Food Safety Education, a non-profit organization, unites industry associations, consumer and public health groups and the USDA, CDC, FDA and EPA to educate the public about safe food handling and preparation.
In addition to the "Webisode," the site features the "Scrub Club™ Theme Song" and "Handwashing Song" sung by Phil Solem, singer for The Rembrandts (known for the Friends' theme song "I'll Be There For You"). Interactive games, activities for kids to download, a curriculum and other educational materials for teachers, program information for parents and tips and activities for the home not only enhance the educational value of the site but also make it fun for kids to return to the site time and time again.
Related links:
NSF International
http://www.nsf.org
The Partnership for Food Safety Education
http://www.fightbac.org/main.cfm
Clean Hands Coalition
http://www.cleanhandscoalition.org/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/
About NSF International
NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water, air and consumer goods (www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, Ltd., organic certification provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.