Health-care staff who want to wash their hands of superbug bacteria have been shown how easy it is to spread infection.

Medical and other staff employed by Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust (tPCT) unknowingly contaminated their hands and clothing with a harmless invisible dust when visiting stalls at an Infection Control Week open day yesterday.

But the ease with which infection can be spread became visible to the naked eye when the same staff ventured into a special ultra-violet (UV) light tent nicknamed the Bug Run'.

The UV light inside the tent caused the previously invisible dust to shine out - and visitors found they had traces of the powder on their hands, clothes, hair and faces.

The open day, which was held at the tPCT headquarters at Douglas Mill, off Manchester Road, Bradford, was aimed at helping to prevent the spread of the superbug Clostridium difficile (C diff). Infection control nurse at tPCT Susan Campbell said the powder was a reminder to staff how easily infection could be transferred from person to person.

She said: "It shows the importance of hand hygiene which is of the foremost importance and also the need for a clean environment."

Medical staff at the tPCT usually use an alcohol gel to cleanse their hands without the need for water.

But staff were reminded that to prevent the spread of C diff they must wash their hands with soap and water as the gel does not clean up the bug.

Miss Campbell said those visiting people in their homes or outside medical locations were issued with a special pack containing soap and towels in case the facilities to wash their hands were unavailable. And she said staff would judge whether to wash their hands with alcohol gel or soap and water depending on the patient's display of symptoms.

Staff were also given the chance to pick up a copy of the Bradford and Airedale NHS policy for dealing with C diff.

Miss Campbell said: "It's looking at all the recent Government guidelines."

She said the day was about reminding staff working outside the hospital environment to be aware of the risk of spreading infection.

C diff hit the headlines when 334 patients were infected and at least 33 died between October 2003 and June 2005 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Miss Campbell said: "We have always been very proactive in telling staff about the risks of healthcare-associated infections and how to prevent them.

"This year we decided to focus on Clostridium difficile to make sure staff had the most up-to-date information."

e-mail: rebecca.wright @bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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