Kiss but don't shake hands to stay healthy!

Scientists from the London School of Hygiene say a quick "air kiss" on the cheek is a relatively-germ free affair when compared to a hand-shake.

They say regardless how clean your hands may be there is no guarantee that the other person maintains the same standards of personal hygiene and hands are critical in the chain of infection.

Infections from surfaces to people and between people are carried on the hands and with some of the quite nasty bugs currently circulating a quick rinse under cold water is just not enough to combat them.

Many people acquire infections after touching someone else's hands and they might have been better served by a quick peck on the cheek.

In the study of hand hygiene the researchers led by Professor Sally Bloomfield, say though shaking hands is the main form of physical contact you have no knowledge of what the other person has been touching before you greet them.

They say while people avoid kissing each other when they have a cold, they are in fact more likely to pass on an infection by shaking someone's hand.

Professor Bloomfield who is the chairman of the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene, says it is important to know when to wash the hands and that good hand hygiene can really reduce the risks.

The health experts say the fight against all types of infections, from colds and flu to stomach bugs and MRSA, begins at home and the common belief that not kissing when someone has a cold does not extend to handshakes, but it should.

Scientists say cold and flu viruses can be spread by the hands and family members become infected when they rub their nose or eyes.

The study also details how germs that cause stomach infections such as salmonella, campylobacter and norovirus can also circulate directly from person to person on the hands.

Some people also carriers of bugs such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Clostridium difficile without being aware of it and they can be passed around from the hands to other surfaces.

Last week more than three million Britons were too sick for work as flu and norovirus outbreaks swept through the country and the health experts say the majority will have been infected after touching someone else's hands.

Experts recommend that people carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for when it is not possible to access a sink; otherwise washing the hands rigorously with soap and water is enough to keep the hands relatively bug free.

They also point out that surfaces from which the hands become contaminated, such as food contact surfaces, door handles, tap handles, toilet seats and cleaning cloths also need regular cleaning.

Experts suggest that the French "air kiss", which avoids contact all together, is probably the best option.

The research is published in the American Journal of Infection Control.