When it comes to washing hands, the message from the Marion county health department is clear–wash them good. Health officials have seen a big jump so far this year in the number of stomach illnesses they think are caused by poor hand washing, and are asking people, especially parents with young children, to make sure hands are washed thoroughly and often. The caseload has jumped from 63 last year to more than 100 this year for the same time period.  WUFT-FM’s Forrest Smith talked with Marion County Health Department Spokesman Craig Ackerman about the enteric type illnesses and how some soap and water can save wear and tear on your stomach

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

For more information on enteric illnesses check out the Florida Department of Health website at www.floridashealth.com/atoz.html and click on the Diseases and conditions link.