If we can prevent infections through good hygiene, we can also reduce the amount of antibiotics we need to prescribe, according to co-author Professor Martin Exner . Overprescription of antibiotics is the main cause of antibiotic resistance, which is threatening our ability to treat infections effectively when they occur.

In developing countries, the huge burden of hygiene and sanitation-related infectious diseases continue to be the most critical public health threat. Says co-author Professor KJ Nath: 'Much of the focus in developing countries is on investment in community water supply and sanitation in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals, but if the health benefits are to be realised, programmes of hygiene promotion must be implemented in conjunction with improvements in water and sanitation'.

Last week's report on the state of the NHS called for greater emphasis on 'disease prevention strategies' as a means to reduce pressure on NHS budgets. Infection prevention will be particularly important for the ever-increasing ageing population, for whom infectious diseases can have much more serious consequences which require hospitalisation.

All of these trends underline the need for greater collective effort in better standards of hygiene. Says Professor Bloomfield: 'In the current climate where infectious disease agents and our immunity to these agents are constantly changing, we need to return to the "not-so-good old days" when our parents and grandparents knew that protecting themselves and their families against infectious diseases was part of their responsibility and an important part of daily life'.

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