Yet just a few germs on a hand or on a toy may be enough to spread a disease. Germs spread through body secretions. Intestinal tract infections spread through stool. Respiratory tract infections spread through coughs, sneezes, and runny noses. Other diseases spread through direct contact.
People can spread germs without being sick themselves.
A person with a disease is often contagious before he develops symptoms. Sometimes people, especially young children, spread disease germs to their families and caregivers without ever getting sick themselves. They will get sick whether or not they are in day care. But in a day care center diseases can spread easily because large numbers of children from different families spend hours together in one place every day. The special problems of day care staff involve keeping ONE child's illness from spreading through the center to the other children, their families, and staff.