May 01, 2015 01:15 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

New research suggests that people who use disinfectant wipes in the kitchen can significantly reduce the risk of food poisoning.

Researchers at the University of Arizona found that consumers can reduce the risk of Campylobacter food poisoning by up to 99percent by using disinfectant wipes in the kitchen after preparing poultry.

Campylobacter infections are common, causing vomiting and diarrhea, and can be very dangerous for young children, older people, and anyone with a compromised immune system.

"The scary thing about Campylobacter is that you really don't need to ingest that many bacteria to get a nasty illness, so we have to wipe clean our kitchen surfaces and wash our hands after preparing poultry," researcher Gerardo Lopez said in a statement.

For the study, researchers used antibacterial wipes on typical counter top materials -- granite, laminate, and ceramic tile -- to see if they reduce the risk of the cook and their family or guests ingesting harmful bacteria.

Along with the experiments, researchers reviewed information from other studies that examine the transfer of bacteria from food, to surfaces and hands, and ultimately to the mouth. They also calculated the potential reduction in risk of infection from using disinfectant wipes. The result was a reduction in the annual risk of Campylobacter jejuni infection of up to 99.2 percent, reducing the risk from 2:10 to 2:1000.

This new research suggests that cleaning up with a disinfectant wipe straight after unwrapping and/or preparing poultry meat could further protect people from infection.

"We found that it's not just the physical removal of bacteria by the wipe that helps -- the antibacterial solution left behind on the counter surface continues to disinfect over the next few minutes," Lopez said. "It's also important that consumers clean up with a wipe straight after preparing poultry. If drips and splatters from the meat remain, bacteria can transfer to other foods from dirty surfaces and utensils. If the area is allowed to dry, the bacteria can sometimes stick to the work surface making it even harder to get clean, later."

For the greatest protection, wipes need to be used to disinfect all surfaces that might have been splashed or sprayed - that might include the sink and taps, counter tops, and stove top.

The findings are detailed in the Journal of Applied Microbiology.

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