Summary

Hand hygiene is one of the simplest yet most effective ways of preventing the spread of infectious agents such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. This is especially true in the hospital environment where pathogenic bacteria may be easily spread by contaminated hands. Of particular concern are spore-forming bacteria such as Clostridium difficile because these spores are extremely hardy and are resistant to a wide range of environmental and chemical conditions. The aim of this project is therefore to examine the efficacy of tea tree oil handwashing products for the removal of bacterial spores from hands.

Program

Tea Tree Oil

Research Organisation

University of Western Australia

Objective Summary

This project will demonstrate proof of concept/efficacy for innovative applications of tea tree oil, which is one of the major research priorities for the RIRDC Tea Tree Oil Program.

The major objectives of this project are to:
1. determine the in vitro sporicidal activity of tea tree oil handwash products
2. evaluate the effectiveness of tea tree oil handwash products for removing bacterial spores from hands
3. compare the removal of bacterial spores to other non-spore-forming bacteria after use of tree oil handwash products
4. compare the effectiveness of tea tree oil handwash products to other standard handwash products for removing bacterial spores from hands