Evaluation of Hand Hygiene among Students in Veterinary Setting

Abstract

Hand hygiene is a fundamental and cost-effective measure for preventing the transmission of infectious agents in both human and veterinary healthcare settings. The present study aimed to assess hand hygiene among veterinary students in a veterinary clinical setting. A total of 37 samples were collected, including 30 hand swab samples from students attending clinical wards and 7 environmental samples from selected sites such as wards, laboratory areas and milk handling equipment at VCRI, Salem. All samples were subjected to bacteriological analysis using standard plate count method and results were expressed as colony-forming units (CFU). Hand swab samples showed bacterial counts ranging from 0 to 2540 CFU, with a mean of 430 CFU and a median of 130 CFU, indicating generally low to moderate contamination with some variability. In contrast, environmental samples exhibited significantly higher bacterial loads, ranging from 500 to 210,000 CFU, with a mean of 41,600 CFU and a median of 6,700 CFU. The highest contamination was observed in milk handling equipment, followed by the zoonoses laboratory, while comparatively lower counts were recorded in certain clinical wards. Statistical analysis using the Mann–Whitney U test revealed a highly significant difference (p < 0.001) between hand hygiene and environmental contamination levels. The findings suggest that although students demonstrated relatively good compliance with hand hygiene practices, environmental surfaces act as major reservoirs of microbial contamination. In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of integrating effective hand hygiene practices with improved environmental sanitation to minimize infection risks. Regular monitoring, strict disinfection protocols and targeted training programs are essential to enhance hygiene standards and ensure biosafety in veterinary healthcare settings under the One Health framework.