There are more bacteria on kitchen worktops than on the handles of trolleys in supermarkets, money, and even handrails in trams, buses and trains – according to a study conducted by the Children’s Health Center and a manufacturer of disinfectants.
Our hands are a means of transport for microorganisms. By touching a dirty surface, we can collect from 100 to 10 thousand. microbial cells. Eschericha coli bacteria responsible for urinary tract diseases, bacteria of the genus Salmonella, which cause gastrointestinal infections, staphylococcus aureus, causing boils and abscesses, and rotaviruses causing diarrhea, adhere most easily to the skin. Microbes from the hand can be transferred further by touch.
– Escherichia coli sticks can survive over a year on wet surfaces. Golden staphylococcus remains viable on dry surfaces for 7 months, and tuberculosis mycobacteria even for several years. The influenza virus can only survive outside the human body for up to 48 hours, but rotavirus for two months – says Dr. Alicja Pawińska, head of the Molecular Biology Laboratory at the Department of Microbiology of the Children’s Health Center.
This year, as part of the “Break the chain of infection” campaign, the Children’s Memorial Health Institute and the manufacturer of disinfectants conducted cleanliness analyzes of the surfaces most frequently touched. 338 samples were collected for microbiological tests from offices, shopping malls, private homes, public transport (metro, tram, bus), trains, railway stations and playgrounds. Moreover, the subject of research was money. The materials were collected from July to September this year.
Bacteria on trains
Golden Staphylococcus and faecal sticks were grown from swabs taken in city buses and trams. Pathogenic microorganisms were detected on handrails, the “stop” button, rubber stamps and seats. Definitely more fecal bacteria were found on the trains, because there are toilets, which are not always filled with water and soap. Toilet users transfer them to seats, door handles and handrails. Faecal bacteria can cause infections, especially in immunocompromised people. Colon bacilli (Escherichia coli) were found mainly in toilets, but also on handrails in means of communication. Some strains of Escherichia coli can cause severe gastrointestinal infections complicated by renal failure, as well as urogenital infections. Interestingly, these bacteria were not found on the subway.
Microbes in stores
In shopping malls, on shopping carts, fecal flora was detected with a similar frequency as at railway stations. Moreover, the presence of golden staphylococcus was found. Some strains of staphylococcus can produce a toxin that causes the epidermis to peel off. In addition, it is the most common cause of wound infections, abscess formation and boils. That is why it is especially dangerous when we have damaged skin, scratches, bite wounds or bites. Some strains of staphylococcus can cause food poisoning. Fecal flora was also found on the surface of banknotes and coins. Coins moving from hand to hand are sometimes the habitat of intestinal sticks. Klebsiella sticks transferred to our homes on the hands are a threat to the elderly and young children. They can cause pneumonia and urinary tract infections and, in newborns, meningitis.
Bacteria in the workplace
Earlier American studies of over 100 offices at universities and companies in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oregon and Washington, found that the average desk contains 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Fortunately, most of the bacteria found were non-pathogenic.
During the Polish research, it turned out that the surfaces in the offices in which the tests were performed were optically clean and microbiologically safe.
Bacteria and microbes were detected on computer keyboards, which are not only touched with dirty hands, but also contaminated with food eaten at the computer. Bacteria, fungi and viruses present in the air also settle on them.
According to a study by Professor Charles Gerba, a microbiologist from Arizona, about 510 bacteria per cm2 can be present on computer keyboards. If several people use the same computer and one of them has a cold, they can pass viruses to another using the keyboard. – That is why it is very important to regularly clean the computer keyboard with the means intended for this purpose; necessarily after disconnecting the device from the power supply – reminds Dr. Pawińska from the CZD.
Bacteria in the house
During the examination, swabs were also collected from kitchen worktops and TV remote controls in Poles’ homes. – The results of research on household surfaces deserve special attention, as they were one of the most microbiologically contaminated surfaces. Even on kitchen worktops, fecal microbes were detected – says Dr. Pawińska. He adds that the countertops should not only be washed, but also sanitized with the use of appropriate means, especially after contact with raw meat that is being prepared for cooking or frying.
The tested TV remote controls were a habitat for skin and faecal bacteria. On other household surfaces, bacteria and mold fungi favored by a humid environment have been detected. Yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida can cause infections of the skin and mucous membranes. Mold fungi, and above all their spores, are dangerous for people with severe lung diseases or other chronic diseases.
Text: Halina Pilonis
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