Practice Good Hand
Hygiene to Help Prevent
the Spread of Germs
Infected
Colonized
• Residents infected with an
organism represent just the “tip
of the iceberg” of residents that
are colonized or infected.
• A resident without signs of
infection can still carry
organisms that could be spread
to another resident if proper
hand hygiene and other
infection control precautions are
not taken.
Minnesota Department of Health
Infectious Disease Epidemiology,
Prevention, and Control Division
PO Box 64975, St Paul, MN 55164-0975
651-201-5414 or 1-877-676-5414
www.health.state.mn.us
12/2014
• A resident without signs of
infection can still carry organisms
that could be spread to another
resident if proper hand hygiene
and other infection control
precautions are not taken.
• Residents infected with an
organism represent just the
“tip of the iceberg” of residents
that are colonized or infected.
Minnesota Department of Health
Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention,
and Control Division
PO Box 64975, Saint Paul, MN 55164-0975
651-201-5414 or 1-877-676-5414
www.health.state.mn.us
12/2014
Colonized
Infected
Practice Good Hand Hygiene to Help
Prevent the Spread of Germs