Stay clean and healthy!

MAN's struggle to stay healthy began almost from the beginning of history. But it was a "losing battle" against diseases, pests and epidemics. Despite advances in science and medicine, people continue to get sick and die.

There was a time when diseases were considered to be caused by evil spirits, and doctors fought this flu with spells or even bloodshed. Sometimes herbs were used, "no doubt for maximum benefit. However, it was the discovery of bacteria that led to more effective treatments for the sick. And this led to an understanding of the relationship between good health and purity."

Today it is known that many diseases - infectious diseases - are the result of three factors: the pathogen, the environment and the host. The drug is the original cause of the disease. Pathogens include bacteria (which cause diseases such as typhus and cholera), protozoa (which cause diseases such as amoebic dysentery), viruses (which cause poliomyelitis, infectious hepatitis, etc.), parasites (which cause malaria, etc.) and fungi. (responsible for problems such as athlete's foot). There are also non-microbial agents such as lead and mercury that can cause poisoning.

The pathogen is found in so-called reservoirs. It could be a person who is already ill, a carrier (someone who wears the active ingredient but does not show symptoms of the disease), an animal or even a part of the lifeless environment. If the agent is expelled from the reservoir by coughing, sneezing or otherwise, it can be ingested and transported to a potential host; H. To someone prone to disease. If the agent finds the right path for the host, the result is disease. The importance of agent input is perceived in the case of tetanus. If the bacterium gets into the mouth, it is harmless. However, if it enters the skin through a deep incision, the host is likely to develop the disease.

Today, men try to break this chain of disease transmission through hygiene. In this way, they strive to control the environment to prevent the pathogen from reaching a new host. The relative success of this approach has been observed in many countries where waste was properly disposed of, wastewater treated, and where the government was able to provide clean water. In these countries, diseases such as typhus, cholera and plague have been virtually eliminated. But even in the most developed countries, people are still victims of infectious diseases such as the flu. This is especially true in times of crisis, when public services fail and disease can recur. These facts emphasize that hygiene is not just a government responsibility. We should all be clear about how diseases spread and what we can do individually to prevent them.

Distribute after touching

Today's world is in a pandemic of sexually transmitted diseases that spreads almost entirely through direct contact with sexual intercourse. These sexually transmitted infections are among the major diseases transmitted through contact transmission.

Controlling sexually transmitted diseases is largely a matter of moral purity, while physical purity helps prevent the spread of many other diseases. (1 Cor 6: 9, 10) Regarding the latter, a physician said: "Washing your hands after using the toilet and before eating should be as automatic as breathing." Indeed, diseases that spread through contact transmission should be the easiest for a person to prevent.

Food and water

People use cars or buses as vehicles for traveling. Pathogens can also travel in vehicles - water, milk, or even food. This is known as vehicle transfer. Milk, which is so good for growing babies, can transmit disease if it comes from a dirty or infected animal. Therefore, in Western countries, milk must be pasteurized. Many people prefer to cook milk when in doubt. Food can transmit disease if prepared with dirty hands or if it comes into contact with rodents or insects. But perhaps the most polluted material is water. We can't live without them for more than four or five days, but when our drinking water is polluted it will be a means for countless millions of pathogens to invade our bodies. And which pathogens can move in the water? Bacteria, protozoa, worms, viruses and non-microbial toxins.

Today many modern cities receive chemically treated water; However, clean water should never be taken for granted, especially in times of floods, earthquakes or similar crises. If you are unsure, you can treat the water with chloride or, if not, iodine tincture. In the absence of these substances, it can be sterilized by boiling for at least ten minutes. Beware, however, that the water can still be polluted after cooking. Therefore, sterile water must be kept in a clean and protected place until use.

In rural areas, especially in developing countries, families rely on various water sources that need to be protected from contamination. For example, rainwater users need to ensure that dirt does not enter the storage tank along with rainwater. In addition, the tank must be protected from insects, rodents and other animals. People who rely on surface water such as streams or streams almost certainly drink contaminated water. It is almost impossible to protect them from contamination or animal runoff (rainwater flowing from the ground). The only exception may be a stream fed by a fast flowing spring where the water appears clean and crystal clear and where there are no residents in the pool pouring pollutants into it.

Natural springs are better, although most residents build a concrete roof around them to protect them from animals and runoff. However, the best sources are likely to be wells, especially deep ones. Shallow water should be tested to make sure it is not contaminated by latrines. Deep wells can also be polluted by surface water runoff. As a result, many well owners build a small platform around the well to prevent surface water from entering.

Also, remember that clean water is easily polluted. Even if it comes from a clean well, the water is undrinkable if loaded into a dirty container or if it comes into contact with dirty hands.

Another class of vehicles that bacteria can drive into is called fomites. These are objects (such as towels or cups) that come into contact with a sick person and then with another person. The new administrator or user inherits the pathogen payload left by the previous person. Formites must be washed in boiling water to make them harmless.

Insects and worms

Between 1347 and 1350 AD, a quarter or half of the total European population died a black death. This disease, also known as bubonic plague, is one of the many diseases that are transmitted through so-called vector transmission. "Vector" means "transporter" and in the field of hygiene it refers to an animal or insect that carries the pathogen to the new host. Most of the vectors are insects. Some, like the bubonic plague that spreads bubonic plague and mosquitoes that spread malaria, actually inject the disease into the new host by biting or penetrating the skin. Others, such as flies and cockroaches, enter contaminated areas, particularly human feces, and then walk over the food or areas where the food is prepared. This is how diseases such as cholera and typhus can be transmitted.

To protect themselves from mosquitoes that transmit malaria, many people in the tropics sleep under a mosquito net. Governments have tried to limit the reproduction of these mosquitoes by eliminating their nesting sites. Families can help in this effort by eliminating potential "nesting sites" in or near their homes, eg. B. Bottled water, standing puddles or even drains not properly covered.

Some insects are a bigger problem. In some places, creatures like cockroaches and flies are not considered enemies, just a nuisance. But they are really harmful to health and their indoor exercise should be avoided as much as possible. Dirty kitchens, even with cracks or holes for insects to hide in, are like a playground for them. Sparsely covered trash is an open invitation to flies, cockroaches and worms. Pigs raised close to home also encourage flies to congregate. Of course, insects and rodents should be kept away from family members and food. You never know where you've been!

Hence, pure habits help break this link in the chain of infection. Another way to reduce the risk of vector damage is to ensure proper disposal of human waste or feces. For people living in cities with adequate sewage systems, this doesn't seem to be a problem. However, in many parts of the world, diseases such as cholera, typhus and dysentery are widespread due to improper waste disposal. As the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, they were ordered to go to a private place outside the camp, dig a hole with a stick, and bury their excrement there. (Deuteronomy 23: 12-14) When someone digs into the ground, the first few meters are filled with small organisms that act quickly on the waste and render it harmless. However, if dirt is left on the surface, insects can crawl on it and carry the disease home. If not treated and used as fertilizer, pathogens such as amoebas and worms are likely to be transmitted to the food crop to be fertilized.

So burying it is the best way to deal with it when there is no discharge. Of course, when a family lives in one place and doesn't move like the Israelites, it takes something more sophisticated than a simple wand or stick to dig a hole. However, it is surprising how easy it is to take a bath. A well about two meters and three square meters deep with a height around the top to prevent water from leaking from the surface, with a bottom lid and a seat that can prevent it from entering, will serve a satisfactory family for a few years. Of course, if you have the money, you can use more sophisticated equipment. But one thing should be noted. These structures should be built away from all water sources (and if possible downhill).