Listeria monocytogenes is the little troublemaker causing the current outbreak of listeriosis in America - and I do mean "little".  This bacteria is quite small when compared with other bacteria (that is why the nanobug image is a baby).  However, it's small size does not make it insignificant.  It has caused an impressive outbreak of illness and death related to the consumption of cantaloupes from one farm in Colorado.  But melons are not the usual host for Listeria monocytogenes.  It is typically associated with dairy foods (even ice cream) and lunch meat.  Read the details on the link below or on www.cdc.gov. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/27/cantaloupe-listeria-outbreak-deadliest_n_984234.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-sb-bb%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%7C99684

The kids are back in school and so are the nanobugs! When we bring large numbers of people together in the same place -like a school- and they spend the day together – each contributing their own nanobugs - the environment can get overloaded with microbes – some pathogenic (disease-producing) and many non-pathogenic. Now, don’t get paranoid – nanobugs are an important part of our internal and external environment. Bacteria are found not only in and on people but in all living creatures and they also live and thrive in water and on the earth. In fact, a teaspoon of rich fertile soil contains over one hundred million bacteria! Do you suppose there is a teaspoon of dirt dispersed over a kid who has been playing hard outside? Probably not; but keeping children clean is important for their health. I’m not suggesting that we try to create a sterile environment for them – just knock the bacterial count down from time to time (preferably daily). Hand hygiene is the best way to prevent infections and keep the nanobugs under control. You have to teach and consistently remind children about hand hygiene and role model good technique. As soon as children arrive home from school they should be sent to the bathroom to wash their hands. (Parents should wash when they get home from work, too). Hand hygiene must be done often and correctly. Here’s how:.Hand Washing with Soap and Water:

• Wet your hands with warm, running water and then apply liquid soap, or use a clean bar of soap and lather well.
• Rub your hands together vigorously for at least 15 seconds (slowly sing the Happy Birthday song to estimate the time needed to scrub) lathering all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
• Rinse well from wrists down to fingertips. Don’t shake and flip water around after rinsing – this seems to be a natural response much like a dog shaking from head to toes when it gets wet. Resist the temptation.
• Dry your hands with a clean towel. In a public restroom, leave the water running while you dry your hands with a paper towel and then use the towel to turn off the faucet. (Faucet handles are often heavily contaminated in public restrooms so you don’t want to touch them again with your clean hands)

Hand hygiene can also be accomplished with an alcohol-based liquid, gel or foam if your hands are not visibly dirty. (If they are, use soap and water wash instead)

• Apply the hand sanitizer to the palm of your hand and rub your hands together, covering all surfaces of your hands, until they are dry.

It is best to bathe or shower at night before sleeping to remove the nanobugs collected at school and the playground so they don’t multiply overnight. Remember- bacteria like a warm dark moist environment for growth and multiplication. And no pets in the bed with sleeping children – allowing the unsupervised sharing of microbes that your pet has collected all day and increasing the microbial count in the bed where they will spend 8+ hours a day.