title: Transfer efficiency of Staphylococcus aureus between nitrile exam gloves and nonporous fomites.
abstract: This report describes fomite transmission of Staphylococcus aureus amongst various surfaces. A contact transfer protocol was completed to evaluate the movement of S aureus between a person wearing nitrile gloves and either: handshaking with another person with gloved hands, touching a plastic cellular telephone back, or touching a stainless steel rod. The data in this preliminary study imply that the highest bacterial transfer is with metal surfaces followed by plastic. Interestingly, glove-to-glove transfer occurred but transfered less bacteria than a plastic or metal surface. The observations from this study point to the need to clearly define hygiene behaviors to reduce the potential of hand- and surface-mediated transmission.
authors.affiliation: Corporate Research and Engineering, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Neenah, WI. Electronic address: dwkoenig@kcc.com.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.affiliation: Corporate Research and Engineering, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Roswell, GA.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Korir-Morrison
authors.affiliation: Corporate Research and Engineering, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Neenah, WI.
authors.forename: Douglas R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hoffman
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone; D050456:Fomites / Q000382:microbiology; D017575:Gloves, Protective / Q000382:microbiology*; D006225:Hand / Q000382:microbiology*; D063373:Hand Hygiene; D006801:Humans; D009570:Nitriles; D010969:Plastics; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009570:Nitriles; D010969:Plastics; D013193:Stainless Steel
keywords: Bacteria; Cell phone; Fomite; Hands; Plastic; Stainless Steel; Transmission