Publications, Data, & Statistics

What to know

These articles provide information related to handwashing and the use of hand sanitizer in a variety of settings around the world. They include key publications on related topics but are not intended to be a comprehensive list of references.

The data

Publication Highlight‎

Haston JC, Miller GF, Berendes D, et al. Characteristics Associated with Adults Remembering to Wash Hands in Multiple Situations Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic – United States, October 2019 and June 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

Improved Health

  • Montgomery, M. P., Carry, M. G., Garcia-Williams, A. G., Marshall, B., Besrat, B., Bejarano, F., Carlson, J., Rutledge, T., & Mosites, E. (2021). . J Community Psychol, 49, 2441– 2453.
  • Haston JC, Miller GF, Berendes D, et al. Characteristics Associated with Adults Remembering to Wash Hands in Multiple Situations Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic – United States, October 2019 and June 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
  • Bowen A, Agboatwalla M, Luby S, Tobery T, Ayers T, Hoekstra RM. Arch Pediatr Adol Med. 2012 166;(11):1037-1044.
  • Palit A, Batabyal P, Kanungo S, Sur D. Water Sci Technol. 2012;66(2):299-303.
  • Curtis V, Schmidt W, Luby S, Florez R, Touré O, Biran A. Lancet Infect Dis. 2011 Apr;11(4):312-21.
  • Stewardson A, Allegranzi B, Sax H, Kilpatrick C, Pittet D. Future Microbiol. 2011 Aug;6(8):855-76.
  • Talaat M, Afifi S, Dueger E, El-Ashry N, Marfin A, Kandeel A, Mohareb E, El-Sayed N. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Apr;17(4):619-25.
  • Aiello AE, Coulborn RM, Perez V, Larson EL. Am J Public Health. 2008;98(8):1372-81.
  • Ejemot RI, Ehiri JE, Meremikwu MM, Critchley JA. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;1:CD004265.
  • Bowen A, Ma H, Ou J, Billhimer W, Long T, Zeng M, Wang E, Painter J, Mintz E, Luby S. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2007;76(6):1166-1173, 2007.
  • Huang DB, Zhou J. J Med Microbiol. 2007;56(5):659-63.
  • Luby SP, Agboatwalla M, Painter J, Altaf A, Billhimer W, Keswick B, Hoekstra RM. Trop Med Int Health. 2006 Apr;11(4):479-89.
  • Rabie T, Curtis V. Trop Med Int Health. 2006 Mar;11(3):258-67.
  • Luby SP, Agboatwalla M, Feikin DR, Painter J, Billhimer W, Altaf A, Hoekstra RM. . Lancet. 2005;366:225-33.
  • Fewtrell L, Kaufmann RB, Kay D, Enanoria W, Haller L, Colford JM Jr. Lancet Infect Dis. 2005 Jan;5(1):42-52.
  • Roberts L, Jorm L, Patel M, Smith W, Douglas RM, McGilchrist C. Pediatrics. 2000 Apr;105(4 Pt 1):743-6.
  • Roberts L, Smith W, Jorm L, Patel M, Douglas RM, McGilchrist C. Pediatrics. 2000 Apr;105(4 Pt 1):738-42.

Contamination & Microbe Removal

  • Carrico AR, Spoden M, Wallston KA, Vandenbergh MP. . Int J Consum Stud. 2013 Jul 1;37(4):433-441.
  • Burton M, Cobb E, Donachie P, Judah G, Curtis V, Schmidt WP. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011 Jan;8(1):97-104.
  • Luby SP, Halder AK, Huda T, Unicomb L, Johnston RB. PLoS Med. 2011 Jun;8(6):e1001052.
  • Todd ECD, Michaels BS, Holah J, Smith D, Grieg JD, Bartleson CA. J Food Prot. 2010 Nov;73(11):2128-40.
  • Todd EC, Michaels BS, Smith D, Greig JD, Bartleson CA. J Food Prot. 2010 Oct;73(10):1937-55.
  • Fuls JL, Rodgers ND, Fischler GE, Howard JM, Patel M, Weidner PL, Duran MH. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008 Jun;74(12):3739-44.
  • Gordin FM, Schultz ME, Huber R, Zubairi S, Stock F, Kariyil J. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2007 Jun;28(6):743-4.
  • Luby SP, Agboatwalla M, Billhimer W, Hoekstra RM. Trop Med Int Health. 2007 Jun;12(6):765-71
  • Laestadius JG, Dimberg L. J Occup Environ Med. 2005 Apr;47(4):434-5.
  • Hoque BA. Int J Environ Health Res. 2003 Jun;13 Suppl 1:S81-7.
  • Lin CM, Wu FM, Kim HK, Doyle MP, Michael BS, Williams LK. J Food Prot. 2003 Dec;66(12):2296-301.
  • Michaels B, Gangar V, Schultz A, Arenas M, Curiale M, Ayers T, Paulson D. Food Service Technology. 2002;2:139-49.
  • McGinley KJ, Larson EL, Leyden JJ. J Clin Microbiol. 1988 May;26(5): 950–953.

Antibacterial Soap

Handwashing has been clearly shown to prevent a variety of diseases and is one of the most important ways to protect oneself and others from infections. To date, studies have shown that there is no added health benefit for consumers (this does not include professionals in the healthcare setting) using soaps containing antibacterial ingredients compared with using plain soap. ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø looks forward to any future data about the safety and effectiveness of antibacterial consumer products and will continue to adjust recommendations based on the best available science.

Efficacy of Antibacterial Soaps

  • Boyce JM, Dupont HL, Massaro J, Sack D, Schaffner DW. Am J Infect Control. 2012 Oct;40(8):742-9.
  • Montville R, Schaffner DW. J Food Prot. 2011 Nov;74(11):1875-82.
  • Aiello AE, Larson EL, Levy SB. Clin Infect Dis. 2007 Sep 1;45 Suppl 2:S137-47.
  • Luby SP, Agboatwalla M, Feikin DR, Painter J, Billhimer W, Altaf A, Hoekstra RM. Lancet. 2005 Jul 16-22;366(9481):225-33.
  • Luby SP, Agboatwalla M, Painter J, Altaf A, Billhimer WL, Hoekstra RM. JAMA. 2004 Jun 2;291(21):2547-54.
  • Larson EL, Lin SX, Gomez-Pichardo C, Della-Latta P. Ann Intern Med. 2004 Mar 2;140(5):321-9.

Environmental Fate & Potential Health Impact of Antibacterial Soap Additives

  • Lankester J, Patel C, Cullen MR, Ley C, Parsonnet J. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 21;8(11):e80057.
  • Butt CM, Stapleton HM. Chem Res Toxicol. 2013 Nov 18;26(11):1692-702.
  • Padhye LP, Yao H, Kung'u FT, Huang CH. Water Res. 2013 Nov 7.
  • Frederiksen H, Nielsen JK, Mørck TA, Hansen PW, Jensen JF, Nielsen O, Andersson AM, Knudsen LE. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2013 Nov;216(6):772-83.
  • Lozano N, Rice CP, Ramirez M, Torrents A. Water Res. 2013 Sep;47(13):4519-27.
  • Meeker JD, Cantonwine DE, Rivera-González LO, Ferguson KK, Mukherjee B, Calafat AM, Ye X, Anzalota Del Toro LV, Crespo-Hernández N, Jiménez-Vélez B, Alshawabkeh AN, Cordero JF. Environ Sci Technol. 2013 Apr 2;47(7):3439-47.

Drying Hands

  • Huang C, Ma W, Stack S. Mayo Clin Proc. 2012 Aug;87(8):791-8.
  • Jensen D, Danyluk M, Harris L, Schaffner D. . J Food Prot. 2015 Apr;78(4):685-690.
  • Gustafson DR, Vetter EA, Larson DR, Ilstrup DM, Maker MD, Thompson RL, Cockerill FR 3rd. Mayo Clin Proc. 2000 Jul;75(7):705-8.
  • Patrick DR, Findon G, Miller TE. Epidemiol Infect. 1997 Dec;119(3):319-25.

Hand Sanitizer

  • Luke Y, Bixler D, Brooks D, et al. Serious Adverse Health Events, Including Death, Associated with Ingesting Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol — Arizona and New Mexico, May–June 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
  • Blaney DD, Daly ER, Kirkland KB, Tongren JE, Kelso PT, Talbot EA. Am J Infect Control. 2011 May;39(4):296-301.
  • Pickering AJ, Davis J, Boehm AB. J Water Health. 2011 Sep;9(3):429-33.
  • Pickering AJ, Boehm AB, Mwanjali M, Davis J. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2010 Feb;82(2):270-8.
  • Stebbins S, Cummings DA, Stark JH, Vukotich C, Mitruka K, Thompson W, Rinaldo C, Roth L, Wagner M, Wisniewski SR, Dato V, Eng H, Burke DS. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2011 Nov;30(11):921-6.
  • Edmonds SL, Mann J, McCormack RR, Macinga DR, Fricker CM, Arbogast JW, Dolan MJ. J Food Prot. 2010 Dec;73(12):2296-300.
  • Hübner NO, Hübner C, Wodny M, Kampf G, Kramer A. BMC Infect Dis. 2010;10:250.
  • Kampf G, Marschall S, Eggerstedt S, Ostermeyer C. BMC Infect Dis. 2010 Mar 26;10:78.
  • Todd EC, Michaels BS, Holah J, Smith D, Greig JD, Bartleson CA. J Food Prot. 2010 Nov;73(11):2128-40.
  • Miller M, Borys D, Morgan D. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2009 May;48(4):429-31.
  • Grayson ML, Melvani S, Druce J, Barr IG, Ballard SA, Johnson PD, Mastorakos T, Birch C. Clin Infect Dis. 2009 Feb 1;48(3):285-91.
  • Oughton MT, Loo VG, Dendukuri N, Fenn S, Libman MD. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2009 Oct;30(10):939-44.
  • Kramer A, Galabov AS, Sattar SA, Döhner L, Pivert A, Payan C, Wolff MH, Yilmaz A, Steinmann J. J Hosp Infect. 2006 Jan;62(1):98-106.
  • Lee GM, Salomon JA, Friedman JF, Hibberd PL, Ross-Degnan D, Zasloff E, Bediako S, Goldmann DA. Pediatrics. 2005 Apr;115(4):852-60.
  • Sandora TJ, Taveras EM, Shih MC, Resnick EA, Lee GM, Ross-Degnan D, Goldmann DA. Pediatrics. 2005 Sep;116(3):587-94.
  • Kampf G, Kramer A. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2004 Oct;17(4):863-93.
  • ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø. Antimicrobial spectrum and characteristics of hand-hygiene antiseptic agents. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2002;51(RR16):45.
  • Charbonneau DL, Ponte JM, Kochanowski BA. J Food Prot. 2000 Apr;63(4):495-501.
  • Barbee SL, Weber DJ, Sobsey MD, Rutala WA. Gastrointest Endosc. 1999 May;49(5):605-11.

Animal Settings