WORRIED you might catch the lurgy from someone coughing on the bus? You are
not alone.
A third of Brits avoid public toilets over germs and one in ten won’t use
public transport, according to research by hand hygiene brand Cuticura.
But how at-risk are we really? HELEN GILBERT swabbed the items below
and had them tested by Valerie Edwards-Jones, of TV’s Embarrassing Bodies,
who is professor of medical microbiology at Manchester Metropolitan
University.
She used bacteria found in the gut, mouth, nose, on skin and in the
environment to gauge the risk of infection. Prof Edwards-Jones says: “If
someone sneezed into their hand and touched something I’d expect to see
respiratory organisms.
“I also looked for faecal organisms if people had not washed their hands after
using the toilet.”
This is what she discovered…
Tube seat
RESULTS: Heavy growth of mixed skin and environmental organisms,
100,000-plus bacterial cells. A moderate growth of enterococci. No pathogens
(disease-causing organisms).
VERDICT: I would expect a Tube seat to be covered in bacteria but I did
find a faecal strep which could have come from an individual who had not
washed their hands. As enterococci are present, there’s a chance other more
infectious organisms that cause gastrointestinal infections could be there.
So if someone touched the seat and did not wash their hands before eating
they could become infected.
Toilet lock
RESULT: A heavy growth of mixed skin and environmental organisms were
found on the toilet lock, more than 100,000 bacterial cells. No pathogens.
VERDICT: I expected to find faecal organisms but the result was mixed
skin and environmental organisms. It meant the lock had been touched by lots
of people and had not been cleaned recently. But there was nothing nasty.
Cashpoint
RESULTS: I found a heavy growth of mixed skin organisms only, more than
100,000 bacterial cells. No pathogens.
VERDICT: The results, unsurprisingly, demonstrated that the cashpoint
is used by lots of people. Interestingly, I didn’t find any respiratory
organisms, which is unusual for this time of year.
But the high usage means bugs could potentially be passed on. If you use a
cashpoint and then eat, a problem might occur.
I would advise washing your hands after drawing money out.
Computer keyboard
RESULT: Scanty skin organisms, 10-20 bacterial cells. No pathogens.
VERDICT: Microbiologically speaking, this was clean.
I assumed the computer keyboard was not used very often but was surprised to
learn that it is used every day.
It is either cleaned regularly or the person who operates it has very good
personal hygiene.
£20 note
RESULT: Heavy growth of environmental organisms, more than 100,000
bacterial cells. No pathogens.
VERDICT: I was surprised by these findings. On coins you can expect a
heavy growth of environmental organisms – especially if someone has handled
money with wet hands – but on notes you wouldn’t expect much. I believe it
was contaminated as it came out of the dispenser. Again, the organisms were
environmental, so there was no risk to human health.
Lift button
RESULTS: Scanty coagulase negative staphylococci – a harmless organism
found on the skin. No pathogens.
VERDICT: There was only the odd bacterial cell, up to 20 colonies was
the most I counted, which is not many at all given that the lift button is
used by lots of people.
This would indicate that the button had recently been cleaned and touched by
very few people. No risk to health.
Gym
RESULT: A very heavy growth of environmental organisms and 100,000-plus
bacterial cells found on the handle of a cross trainer. No pathogens.
VERDICT: These results surprised me. I had expected to find skin
organisms on here.
The findings indicate the cross trainer handle had not been cleaned in some
time, but the environmental organisms – these are bacterial cells which are
found in the everyday environment – on it were harmless. There could be
millions of them but they still wouldn’t pose a health risk.
Park bench
RESULT: A heavy growth of environmental and skin organisms,
100,000-plus bacterial cells. No pathogens.
VERDICT: There were environmental organisms from soil and dust and also
skin organisms, but these would not cause harm to an individual. There were
no faecal or respiratory indicator organisms that would suggest something
more sinister.
Conclusion
THIS small study looked at the germs lurking on everyday objects. We are
surrounded by micro-organisms that mainly do us no harm. We found no
pathogens and no evidence of respiratory organisms, seen when people sneeze
into their hands and touch things, even though it is the season of
respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Still, there is always a risk
of catching bugs and people should know this from a hygiene viewpoint.
To reduce your risk of falling ill, SALLY BLOOMFIELD of the London School
of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine shares her top tips:
Wash hands properly, using soap and rubbing your hands thoroughly for 15
seconds before rinsing under hot running water. This is vital. Soap only
detaches dirt and microbes – the water gets rid of them.
If you don’t have access to a sink, use an alcohol hand rub.
Be aware of germ superhighways such as handrails. Wash your hands as soon as
you arrive home or in the office.
Wash your hands after using the toilet, when handling raw food, before eating,
and after changing a nappy.
Block your sneezes using a disposable tissue. Bin the tissue at once.
Remember, if a cold or flu virus is on your hand, you can get infected by
touching your eyes and rubbing your nose.