question: In a boiling water advisory, why does the CDC say it’s safe to wash your hands with non-boiled water?
comment: Because you use soap when you wash your hands eliminating most harmful bacteria that may be in the water. Plus you dry your hands after washing so the chances of transferring harmful bacteria from non-boiled water after washing and drying your hands to food that presumably you will then cook to your stomach and then doing you harm are really really small.
passages: In emergency situations when conventional treatment systems have been compromised, waterborne pathogens may be killed or inactivated by boiling but this requires abundant sources of fuel, and can be very onerous on consumers, especially where it is difficult to store boiled water in sterile conditions. Other techniques, such as filtration, chemical disinfection, and exposure to ultraviolet radiation (including solar UV) have been demonstrated in an array of randomized control trials to significantly reduce levels of water-borne disease among users in low-income countries, but these suffer from the same problems as boiling methods.
   Boil-water advisory
  
  A boil-water advisory or boil-water order is a public health advisory or directive given by government or health authorities to consumers when a community's drinking water is, or could be, contaminated by pathogens.
  
  Under a boil-water advisory (BWA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that water be brought to a rolling boil for one minute before it is consumed in order to kill protozoa, bacteria and viruses. At altitudes above , boiling should be extended to 3 minutes, as the lower boiling point at high altitudes requires more time to kill such organisms.
   John Snow's 1849 recommendation that water be "filtered and boiled before it is used" is one of the first practical applications of the germ theory of disease in the area of public health and is the antecedent to the modern boil water advisory. Snow demonstrated a clear understanding of germ theory in his writings. He first published his theory in an 1849 essay "On the Mode of Communication of Cholera", in which he correctly suggested that the fecal-oral route was the mode of communication, and that the disease replicated itself in the lower intestines. Snow later went so far as to accurately propose in his 1855 edition of the work that the structure of cholera was that of a cell. Snow's ideas were not fully accepted until years after his death. He died in 1858.
   The most reliable way to kill microbial pathogenic agents is to heat water to a rolling boil. Other techniques, such as varying forms of filtration, chemical disinfection, and exposure to ultraviolet radiation (including solar UV) have been demonstrated in an array of randomized control trials to significantly reduce levels of waterborne disease among users in low-income countries.
   Heat kills disease-causing micro-organisms, with higher temperatures and/or duration required for some pathogens. Sterilization of water (killing all living contaminants) is not necessary to make water safe to drink; one only needs to render enteric (intestinal) pathogens harmless. Boiling does not remove most pollutants and does not leave any residual protection.
  
  The WHO states bringing water to rolling boil then naturally cooling is sufficient to inactivate pathogenic bacteria, viruses and protozoa.
   Hot water that is comfortable for washing hands is not hot enough to kill bacteria. Bacteria grow much faster at body temperature (37 C). However, warm, soapy water is more effective than cold, soapy water at removing natural oils which hold soils and bacteria. Contrary to popular belief however, scientific studies have shown that using warm water has no effect on reducing the microbial load on hands.
  
  Section::::Substances used.:Hand antiseptics.
   Diagnosis is made through clinical evaluation by a physician, which may include culturing of the lesion.
  
  Section::::Treatment.
   Boiling liquid food items can kill any existing microbes. Milk and water are often boiled to kill any harmful microbes that may be present in them.
  
  Section::::Traditional techniques.:Heating.
  
  Heating to temperatures which are sufficient to kill microorganisms inside the food is a method used with perpetual stews. Milk is also boiled before storing to kill many microorganisms.
  
  Section::::Traditional techniques.:Sugaring.
   The elimination of micro-organisms by boiling follows first-order kinetics—at high temperatures, it is achieved in less time and at lower temperatures, in more time. The heat sensitivity of micro-organisms varies, at , Giardia species (causes Giardiasis) can take ten minutes for complete inactivation, most intestine affecting microbes and "E. coli" (gastroenteritis) take less than a minute; at boiling point, "Vibrio cholerae" (cholera) takes ten seconds and hepatitis A virus (causes the symptom of jaundice), one minute. Boiling does not ensure the elimination of all micro-organisms; the bacterial spores Clostridium can survive at but are not water-borne or intestine affecting. Thus for human health, complete sterilization of water is not required.
   Crab boil
  
  Crab boil is a spice mixture that is used to flavor the water in which crabs or other shellfish are boiled. A crab boil is also a social event where boiled crabs are eaten, a kind of seafood boil. Crab boils are known in the Ville Platte areas of Louisiana as "dome lobster boils," stemming from the local term "dome lobster" based on the shape and composition of crabs and their likeness to a domed lobster. The largest of these gatherings is the "Crayon d'Orange" festival (French for 'Orange Pencil') in Evangeline Parish.
  
  Section::::Louisiana and New Orleans.
   BWAs are typically issued when monitoring of water being served to consumers detects "Escherichia coli" or other microbiological indicators of sewage contamination. Another reason for a BWA is a failure of distribution system integrity evidenced by a loss of system pressure. While loss of pressure does not necessarily mean the water has been contaminated, it does mean that pathogens may be able to enter the piped-water system and thus be carried to consumers. In the United States, this has been defined as a drop below .
  
  Section::::History.
   The CDC recommends a rolling boil for 1 minute. At high elevations, though, the boiling point of water drops. At altitudes greater than 6,562 feet (2000 meters) boiling should continue for 3 minutes.
  
  All bacterial pathogens are quickly killed above 60 °C (140 °F), therefore, although boiling is not necessary to make the water safe to drink, the time taken to heat the water to boiling is usually sufficient to reduce bacterial concentrations to safe levels. Encysted protozoan pathogens may require higher temperatures to remove any risk.
   Boiling is not always necessary nor sometimes enough. Pasteurization where "enough" pathogens are killed typically occurs at 63 °C for 30 minutes or 72 °C for 15 seconds. Certain pathogens must be heated above boiling (e.g. botulism"Clostridium botulinum" requires , most endospores require , and prions even higher). Higher temperatures may be achieved with a pressure cooker. Heat combined with ultraviolet light (UV), such as sodis method, reduces the necessary temperature and duration.
  
  Section::::Techniques.:Filtration.
   Boiling water is used as a method of making it potable by killing microbes that may be present. The sensitivity of different micro-organisms to heat varies, but if water is held at 70 °C (158 °F) for ten minutes, many organisms are killed, but some are more resistant to heat and require one minute at the boiling point of water.
   BULLET::::1. Boiling: Bringing water to its boiling point (about 100 °C or 212 F at sea level), is the oldest and most effective way since it eliminates most microbes causing intestine related diseases, but it cannot remove chemical toxins or impurities. For human health, complete sterilization of water is not required, since the heat resistant microbes are not intestine affecting. The traditional advice of boiling water for ten minutes is mainly for additional safety, since microbes start getting eliminated at temperatures greater than . Though the boiling point decreases with increasing altitude, it is not enough to affect the disinfecting process. In areas where the water is "hard" (that is, containing significant dissolved calcium salts), boiling decomposes the bicarbonate ions, resulting in partial precipitation as calcium carbonate. This is the "fur" that builds up on kettle elements, etc., in hard water areas. With the exception of calcium, boiling does not remove solutes of higher boiling point than water and in fact increases their concentration (due to some water being lost as vapour). Boiling does not leave a residual disinfectant in the water. Therefore, water that is boiled and then stored for any length of time may acquire new pathogens.
   Snow's 1849 recommendation that water be "filtered and boiled before it is used" is one of the first practical applications of germ theory in the area of public health and is the antecedent to the modern boil-water advisory.
  
  In 1855 he published a second edition of his article, documenting his more elaborate investigation of the effect of the water supply in the Soho, London epidemic of 1854.
   To prevent children from getting burned, water temperature must not be set too high when taking baths or washing hands, nonflammable sleepwear should be worn, backburners should be used when cooking something on the stove, and hot foods, drinks, and irons should be kept away from the edge of counter and table. Oven mitts and potholders must be used in handling hot containers. People should be careful when taking hot foods out of microwave ovens, and covers should be opened gently to reduce the risk of steam burns.
  
  Section::::Treatment.
   Phytohaemagglutinin can be deactivated by cooking beans for ten minutes at boiling point (100 °C, 212 °F). Insufficient cooking, such as in a slow cooker at 80 °C/ 176 °F, however, is not sufficient to deactivate all toxin To safely cook the beans, the U.S Food and Drug Administration recommends boiling for 30 minutes to ensure they reach a sufficient temperature for long enough to completely destroy the toxin. For dry beans, the FDA also recommends an initial soak of at least 5 hours in water which should then be discarded. Outbreaks of poisoning have been associated with cooking kidney beans in slow cookers.
   On the other hand, there are several disadvantages. There is a loss of soluble vitamins from foods to the water (if the water is discarded). Boiling can also be a slow method of cooking food.
  
  Boiling can be done in several ways: The food can be placed into already rapidly boiling water and left to cook, the heat can be turned down and the food can be simmered or the food can also be placed into the pot, and cold water may be added to the pot. This may then be boiled until the food is satisfactory.
   Techniques include boiling, filtering, chemical treatment, and ultraviolet light; boiling is by far the most effective of these methods. Boiling rapidly kills all active bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Prolonged boiling is usually unnecessary; most microorganisms are killed within seconds at water temperature above 55–70 °C (130–160 °F). The second-most effective method is to combine filtration and chemical disinfection. Filters eliminate most bacteria and protozoa, but not viruses. Chemical treatment with halogens—chlorine bleach, tincture of iodine, or commercial tablets—have low-to-moderate effectiveness against protozoa such as "Giardia", but work well against bacteria and viruses. 
   The traditional advice of boiling water for ten minutes is mainly for additional safety, since microbes start getting eliminated at temperatures greater than and bringing it to its boiling point is also a useful indication that can be seen without the help of a thermometer, and by this time, the water is disinfected. Though the boiling point decreases with increasing altitude, it is not enough to affect the disinfecting process.
  
  Section::::Uses.:In cooking.
   Handwashing prevents spreading infection. Washing before and after handling food, after using the bathroom, changing diapers, or handling pets.
  
  Section::::Epidemiology.
  
  Caregivers of infants less than four months old:
  
  BULLET::::- 41% didn't wash their hands after petting animals;
  
  BULLET::::- 32% didn't wash their hands after changing the baby's diaper;
  
  BULLET::::- 15% didn't wash their hands after using the bathroom;
  
  BULLET::::- 10% didn't wash their hands after handling raw meat;
  
  BULLET::::- 5% didn't wash their hands after gardening or working with soil.
  
  Section::::See also.
  
  BULLET::::- 2008 Chinese milk scandal
  
  BULLET::::- Daigou
  
  BULLET::::- Food safety
  
  Section::::External links.
   BULLET::::- Dishwashing liquid has uses as an ingredient in making homemade garden pest deterrents. Oregon State University's Cooperative Extension Service notes the use of dishwashing liquid to get rid of spidermites. Dish soap has also been used to deter aphids. In some instances, the dish soap may be toxic to plant leaves and cause them to "burn". Use of soap or dish detergent to help spread pesticide on plants is noted by University of Georgia extension service, but not recommended.
   Trial by boiling oil has been practiced in villages in certain parts of West Africa, such as Togo. There are two main alternatives of this trial. In one version, the accused parties are ordered to retrieve an item from a container of boiling oil, with those who refuse the task being found guilty. In the other version of the trial, both the accused and the accuser have to retrieve an item from boiling oil, with the person or persons whose hand remains unscathed being declared innocent.
  
  Section::::Types of ordeals.:By turf.
   First one should rinse hands with warm water, keeping hands below wrists and forearms, to prevent contaminated water from moving from the hands to the wrists and arms. The warm water helps to open pores, which helps with the removal of microorganisms, without removing skin oils. One should use five milliliters of liquid soap, to completely cover the hands, and rub wet, soapy hands together, outside the running water, for at least 20 seconds. The most commonly missed areas are the thumb, the wrist, the areas between the fingers, and under fingernails. Artificial nails and chipped nail polish harbor microorganisms.
  
presuppositions: Washing your hands with non-boiled water will contaminate your hands during a boiling water advisory.
corrections: Washing your hands with non-boiled water will not contaminate your hands during a boiling water advisory when soap is used to wash bacteria away. 
raw_presuppositions: Washing your hands with non-boiled water will contaminate your hands during a boiling water advisory. Washing your hands with non-boiled water will contaminate your hands.
raw_corrections: Washing your hands with non-boiled water will not contaminate your hands during a boiling water advisory when soap is used to wash bacteria away.  Combined with using soap, the chances of transferring bacteria from non-boiled water to food is very low.