By Jenny Hope PUBLISHED: 18:16 EST, 4 October 2012 | UPDATED: 01:52 EST, 5 October 2012 Britons take fewer basic hygiene precautions against catching the flu than people in America, Mexico, Japan and Argentina, say doctors. In fact, they are so cavalier about spreading or getting the illness that the country could be left wide open to an epidemic, claim the experts. The warning comes after an international survey showed how individuals in the UK fail to follow simple rules such as washing their hands and sneezing into a tissue. 'Complacent': Britons fail to follow simple rules - like sneezing into a tissue - to avoid spreading the flu, according to new research
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Britons are so cavalier about spreading infection the country could be wide open to an epidemic, say experts
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Many people in the UK fail to follow simple rules like washing their hands or sneezing into a tissue
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Fifty-three per cent of @placeholder said they washed their hands more often, compared with 72 per cent of US citizens, 86 per cent of Mexicans, 72 per cent of Japanese and 89 per cent of Argentinians.
America
Fifty-three per cent of Britons said they washed their hands more often, compared with 72 per cent of @placeholder citizens, 86 per cent of Mexicans, 72 per cent of Japanese and 89 per cent of Argentinians.
Argentina
Fifty-three per cent of Britons said they washed their hands more often, compared with 72 per cent of US citizens, 86 per cent of Mexicans, 72 per cent of Japanese and 89 per cent of @placeholder.
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Only 2 per cent of @placeholder said they followed this strategy, which was adopted by 46 per cent of Mexicans, 21 per cent of Americans and 19 per cent of Argentinians.
Japan
The question was not asked in @placeholder, where kissing is not the cultural norm.