http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/09/25/flu-hygiene.aspxBy Dr. Joseph Mercola with Laina Krisik After years of hearing &quot;Don't forget to wash your hands,&quot; before every meal, the act of handwashing has nearly become a Pavlovian response when cooking aromas fill the kitchen. Unlike the many bad habitsenCommunityServer 2008.5 SP1 (Build: 31106.3070)http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/09/25/flu-hygiene.aspx#41780Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:04:25 GMT24451277-a5aa-4add-96dc-64081bfd86fa:41780Newnham<p>As a nurse I find the statement&quot;your best defence against the flu is clean hands&quot; to be ludicrous and also inaccurate.</p> <p>Influenza is an airborne infection spread by droplets in the air when people sneeze and has little to do with hand washing. It would be more appropriate for Dr Mercola to tell us to wear a face mask.</p> <p>I am a great supporter of the natural way but this is a bit over the top and inaccurate as well. Cleanliness is next to godliness but we need to build up a natural immunity as well and bringing kids up in an almost sterile environment has a proven detrimental effect on their immunity.</p> <p>Maryse Newnham </p> <img src="http://articles.mercola.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=41780" width="1" height="1">