Good personal hygiene is essential in reducing the risk of infection from pathogenic micro-organisms, mainly by limiting person-to-person contamination.

It would be untrue to say, however, that to humans, all viruses, bacteria and fungi are aggressive and invasive. In fact, the human body is host to a huge number of germs that make up " commensal flora".

'Personal hygiene should therefore maintain a balance between limiting person-to-person contamination by pathogenic organisms and preserving the microbiological flora in, on and around us.