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Abstract:
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Handwashing with soap reduces diarrhea risk, but drying hands on contaminated towels can compromise the benefits of handwashing. In response to the challenge of keeping hands clean, an antimicrobial towel (AT) was developed, but not adequately tested in the field. We evaluated AT in two randomized crossover trials among 125 mothers in western Kenya. In trial 1, we randomly assigned mothers to use either the AT or a placebo towel and made surprise home visits each week for three weeks. We tested hands for Escherichia coli using sterile hand rinses, then switched towel types in the two groups and repeated three weekly rounds of E. coli testing. In trial 2, we compared E. coli contamination of maternal hands immediately following three different handwashing/drying procedures: soap and water + AT towel, water only + AT towel, and soap and water + air dry. There was no significant difference in the level of E. coli contamination on hands by type of towel used in trial 1 or by handwashing/drying procedure in trial 2. Use of AT did not prevent E. coli contamination of mothers’ hands during random testing and offered no advantages. Further evaluation on AT is warranted.
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