Fingers from the nose - Nasal cannulation can provoke pneumonia

Parents can become infected with dangerous germs in their children

Drilling on the nose can increase the risk of developing life-threatening pneumonia. Responsible for this is the transmission of germs between the hands and the nose. Here it becomes clear how important sufficient hygiene of the hands can be for our health. But not only your own hands must be clean, especially children with dirty hands can also transfer the germs to other people.

Scientists at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have found in their recent research that transmission of germs between the hand and nose increases the risk of pneumonia. The physicians published the results of their study in the English language journal "European Respiratory Journal".

Especially small children often drill in the nose. Physicians found out that dangerous germs are transmitted from the hands to the nose, which can lead to life-threatening pneumonia, for example. (Image: MAK / fotolia.com)

Older people are particularly vulnerable

Parents should make sure that their children's toys and hands are clean and washed, as children often drill in their noses, increasing the risk of infectious respiratory disease. In addition, contamination of the child's hands may also transfer the bacteria to other people. Older people are particularly at risk because they are prone to infections, explain the researchers.

Pneumococcal infection leads to millions of deaths annually

Pneumococcal infections are a major cause of death worldwide and are estimated to cause 1.3 million deaths each year in children under the age of five, explains study author Dr. Victoria Connor from the Royal Liverpool Hospital. Older people and people with other causes of impaired immunity, such as chronic diseases, also have an increased risk of pneumococcal infections. The current understanding of pneumococcal transmission is relatively poor, so scientists wanted to look closely at how pneumococci spread in the community. Having a clearer understanding of how the bacteria are spread could help prevent transmission, which could also prevent pneumococcal infections.

Bacteria can partially strengthen the immune system of children

The researchers found that the bacteria can be transferred from the hands to the nose, whether people drill in the nose or just scratch their noses. However, it is not realistically achievable that all children stop drilling in the nose or scratching their noses, says dr. Connor. The presence of bacteria can sometimes even boost children's immune systems, the expert adds. Thus, it is unclear whether a complete reduction in the spread of pneumococci in children is the best option. However, clean hands of children are likely to reduce the spread of pneumococci in elderly relatives or relatives with a vulnerable immune system.

Improved hand hygiene would help older people in particular

Ensuring good hand hygiene and cleaning of toys or surfaces is likely to reduce the transmission of germs and reduce the risk of pneumococcal infection, the researchers conclude. So fewer people would contract pneumonia. The current study confirms for the first time that pneumococci can be transmitted through direct contact, not just by inhaling bacteria in the air, the researchers explain. (As)