Question: Why do I need to wash my hands?

Every time that you use the toilet you need to wash your hands afterwards. Poo is not only smelly and yucky, but it also is a home to lots of nasties! Some of these nasties are called 'Bacteria'.

Some bacteria are good. Cheese and yoghurt are made using bacteria. Some bacteria are bad. Bacteria are tiny little living things, so small that you cannot see them. Bacteria love to live in poo!

When you go to the toilet, you may think that your hands look clean. But they are probably covered in lots of nasty bacteria from your poo. You need to wash your hands to get rid of the nasties that you can't see.

There are lots of nasties that live in poo. Here are just a few of them:

Some bacteria

Salmonella: this bacteria can make you sick and make your poo all runny. Some people have even died from Salmonella.

Shigella: Can make your poo runny, make you sick, feel dizzy, make your tummy hurt. A lot of people have died from Dysentery, which is caused by Shigella

Yersinia: causes a rather nasty thing called Plague. Plague spreads to other people easily. Lots and lots of people have died from Plague.

Campylobacter: Makes your poo runny, makes you sick, makes your tummy hurt,

Cryptosporidium: Makes your poo runny, makes you sick, makes your tummy hurt.

Parasitic Threadworms: You can get worms living in your tummy and wriggling around inside you. They can make you feel weak and tired. Can make your bum itchy.

If you catch any of these nasties then a Doctor can give you medicine to make you better. It is always better to avoid being ill in the first place, by WASHING YOUR HANDS! Not only can you make yourself ill, but you can spread illness to other people by the things you touch.

Why not watch this video about how to wash your hands?