This issue focuses on microbial threats to our health in the domestic setting and considers some of the strategies that are appropriate to combat their effects.
Domestic kitchens are a significant source of foodborne infection .
Charles Penn and Anthony Hilton of the University of Birmingham describe various aspects of kitchen hygiene and evaluate the role of new antimicrobial products in reducing the risks of disease in the home environment. Contact lenses are an increasingly popular alternative to spectacles, but as University of Leicester lecturer Simon Kilvington describes, poor hygiene in their use can lead to unpleasant eye infections . Liz Miller, Head of the PHLS Immunisation Division, explores current practice and describes the potential impact of the anti-vaccination lobby on child health. Vaccination has eliminated smallpox and done away with many of the epidemics of infectious diseases that occurred in the past, but there is still a need to develop new vaccines . Philip Minor of the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control describes the scientific difficulties that can be encountered and explains how socio-economic and ethical issues can also affect success.