A person carries millions of bacteria on their hands. Most are harmless, but they can pick up some that cause illnesses, such as colds and the flu. This is why they wash their hands and why it is so important. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hand washing is the best way to prevent infection and illness. Although colds and flu can spread through the air, the germs are also transferred through hand-to-hand contact. If someone with the flu or a cold sneezes into their hand, does not wash and then touches someone else's hand, the germs will spread. The person who was touched with these germs could prevent getting the illness if they washed their hands as soon as they were touched. Otherwise they risk not only coming down with the illness, but also spreading it to others. Hand washing with soap plays an important role in child survival and health. It is the most effective & inexpensive way to prevent severeblood vessel infections, which takes the lives of millions of children in developing countries. A time you must wash your hands is when handling uncooked food, especially raw meat. Salmonella in uncooked eggs or raw meat can be spread to other foods with infected hands. Handling raw chicken, for instance, and then tearing lettuce for a salad without washing in between allows the bacteria to move onto the raw vegetables. The bacteria multiply on the salad at room temperature, and anyone who eats the salad could get food poisoning. For those of us who want to be doctors it is important to know that in the health care setting, improper hand washing can have horrible consequences. Bacteria can be transferred from one patient to another through the caretaker's hands. During certain procedures bacteria may be introduced from unwashed hands into the bloodstream, causing a severe systemic infection that can lead to death. But that’s not all that can be caused by unclean hands; many other problems and diseases are caused by not washing your hands. A person who washes their hands is less likely to be diagnosed with campylobacter, MRSA, flu, the common cold and impetigo – but these are only some of the illnesses caused by dirty hands. The unfortunate part is that many of these illnesses can be prevented by proper hand washing at the correct time.