About one in six cellphones tested in the U.K. had traces of E. coli bacteria from fecal matter, a new study released for Global Handwashing Day suggests.
The findings included:
- Although 95 per cent of people said they washed their hands with soap where possible, 92 per cent of phones and 82 per cent of hands had bacteria on them.
- 16 per cent of hands and 16 per cent of phones were found to harbour E. coli bacteria that are associated with stomach upsets.
- Those who had bacteria on their hands were three times as likely to have bacteria on their phones.
"The mobile phone is a lovely area for some of the bacteria that we actually started to grow," said Dr. Ron Cutler of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
Comments
To be fair, my best mate put my old phone between his arse cheeks, so I know for a fact it was covered in poop matter, no matter how fine.
I now make a concious effort not to touch my phone unless I've washed my hands. Can you imagine smearing piss and shit on a HTC screen?
I'd much rather an iPhone for that
I recall seeing that on Mythbusters, I believe. After that episode i keep my toothbrush on the other side of the bathroom and always flush with the lid down. Oh, and run my brush under boiling hot water every evening. Probably doesn't do much, but it clears my mind. Got a cut up mouth so it puts my mind to rest.
Don't you mean, "doobie-ous"?
But yeah, there's probably traces of fecal matter all over the place but eh, I haven't gotten sick in a long time (except from after drinking, but that's not an illness). Can your immune system buff itself up after being subject to these traces of turd for long enough? Regardless, I feel like cleaning my apartment now.
LOL we should write a totse book and that should be the title.
I don't sweat it and hardly ever get sick. Not to say I don't wash my hands after I shit but worrying about little poop traces jumping on to your toothbrush is just a bit too neurotic for me to bother with. If your immune system is never challenged it can not poperly strengthen.
Your ancestors had the shitter outside where it could do no damage. We could learn a lot from this hahaha.
And 1/2 the soldiers in the trenches died of dysentery and the like.
I keep my toothbrush in my closet and rinse it with boiling water before and after each use. A little less shit in my mouth