Practice good hygiene

• Everywhere
  • Wash hands with soap and clean, running water for at least 20 seconds; rub your hands together to make a lather and be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
    • Before, during, and after preparing food
    • Before eating food
    • Before and after caring for someone who is sick
    • Before and after treating a cut or wound
    • After using the toilet
    • After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
    • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
    • After touching an animal or animal waste
    • After handling pet food or pet treats
    • After touching garbage
  • Help young children and other people you are caring for with handwashing as needed

Practicing good hygiene helps prevent the spread of disease.

More on: Hygiene and handwashing

• At child care facilities
  • To reduce the risk of spreading the disease, children with diarrhea should be removed from child care settings until the diarrhea has stopped

• At recreational water venues (for example, pools, beaches, fountains)
  • Protect others by not swimming if you have diarrhea (this is most important for children in diapers)
  • Shower before entering the water
  • Wash children thoroughly (especially their bottoms) with soap and water after they use the bathroom or after their diapers are changed and before they enter the water
  • Take children on frequent bathroom breaks and check their diapers often
  • Change diapers in the bathroom, not by the water

More on: Recreational Water Illnesses (RWIs)

More on: Using chlorine to kill Giardia in recreational water

• Around animals
  • Minimize contact with the feces (poop) of all animals, especially young animals
    • When cleaning up animal feces (poop), wear disposable gloves and always wash hands when finished
  • Wash hands after any contact with animals or their living areas

Thoroughly washing your hands after gardening can help prevent exposure to parasitic diseases.

• Outside
  • Wash hands after gardening, even if wearing gloves

Avoid water (drinking and recreational) that may be contaminated

• Do not swallow water while swimming in pools, hot tubs, interactive fountains, lakes, rivers, springs, ponds, streams or the ocean
• Do not drink untreated water from lakes, rivers, springs, ponds, streams, or shallow wells
• Do not drink poorly treated water or ice made from water during community outbreaks caused by contaminated drinking water
• Do not use or drink poorly treated water or use ice when traveling in countries where the water supply might be unsafe
• If the safety of drinking water is in doubt (for example, during or after an outbreak, in a place with poor sanitation or lack of water treatment systems), do one of the following:
  • Drink bottled water
  • Disinfect tap water by heating it to a rolling boil for 1 minute
  • Use a filter that has been tested and rated by National Safety Foundation (NSF) Standard 53 or NSF Standard 58 for cyst and oocyst reduction; filtered tap water will need additional treatment to kill or weaken bacteria and viruses

More on: Water Filters

More on: Choosing Safe Bottled Water

Avoid eating food that may be contaminated

• Use safe, uncontaminated water to wash all food that is to be eaten raw
• After washing vegetables and fruit in safe, uncontaminated water, peel them if you plan to eat them raw
• Avoid eating raw or uncooked foods when traveling in countries with poor food and water treatment

More on: Preventing Illness While Traveling

Prevent contact and contamination with feces (poop) during sex

• Use a barrier during oral-anal sex
• Wash hands right after handling a condom used during anal sex and after touching the anus or rectal area

More on: Safe Sex Practices