title: [Correlation between distributions of pathogenic bacteria on hands and the position of funeral staffs].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to investigate the bacteria contamination on hands of funeral staffs in different positions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bacterial samples were collected from the hands of 105 funeral staffs in different positions (including 90 frontline staffs and 15 administrative workers) from 13 funeral parlors nationwide, and were subsequently tested by bacterium inspection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 1783 strains of bacteria were isolated, including 1027 Gram-positive bacteria, most of which were Staphylococcus; and 756 Gram-negative bacteria, most of which were Pseudomonas. Out of the 1783 strains of bacteria, 570 pathogens and opportunistic pathogens were isolated, accounted to 31.96%. The isolated ratio of pathogens and conditional pathogens in embalmed/cosmetologist of cadavers was 35.67% (370/1037), which was higher than those in the funeral workers in other positions, such as cremators, pick-up and administrative workers, whose ratios were 24.42% (95/389), 22.41% (52/232) and 10.40% (12/125), respectively (χ(2) were 13.682, 10.967 and 32.263, respectively; P values were all < 0.05). And the isolated ratios of pathogens and conditional pathogens in cremators and pick-up workers were significantly higher than that in administrative workers (χ(2) were 11.206 and 7.873, respectively; P values were all < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lots of bacteria were found in the samples from hands of funeral staffs. The isolated ratio of pathogens and conditional pathogens was different between the funeral staffs in different positions; while the highest was from embalmed/cosmetologist of cadavers and the lowest was from administrators.
authors.affiliation: 101 Institute, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Beijing 100070, China.
authors.forename: Xue-mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yu-guang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Han-liu
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Si-peng
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: De-hui
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Guo-jun
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yong-kuo
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006225:Hand / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009027:Mortuary Practice; D016273:Occupational Exposure