What lurks beneath

January 17, 2012  •  Health  •  2 Comments

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• THREAT: Germs can be easily spread

SHARING may be caring but your generosity could be doing you more harm than good.

The communal use of items including pens, computer keyboards and shopping trolleys can leave the users exposed to a wide range of potentially dangerous germs.

In one study, scientists swabbed 390 mobile phones with almost all showing traces of bacteria, including the superbug MRSA and E. coli, which causes food poisoning.

While a survey by consumer group Which? found that computer keyboards in its London offices contained up to five times more germs than a toilet seat.

Warm, damp bathrooms are also a prime location for lurking bacteria, with the sharing of towels, toothbrushes and nail brushes are among the most common ways of spreading germs.

Germs are most often transferred through poor hygiene, not washing your hands after going to the loo, sneezing, dirty food and hand-to-hand contact. Other common culprits for spreading bacteria include soap dispensers, remote controls and high chairs.

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