Dishing the dirt on the germs: Credit Cards

The average person harbors 150 species of bacteria – so it’s no surprise our hands are often filthier than our toilet seats.

Some bacteria are harmless, some are even beneficial to our health, but others can cause serious illness. We touch some 300 different surfaces every half hour, then we touch our own faces around 18 times an hour. This makes it easy for germs to get into our mouths and noses, where they attack cells and make us feel unwell. Contact with everyday items such as the TV remote or light switches is thought to be the trigger for 65 per cent of colds, 50 per cent of diarrhoea cases and 50 to 80 per cent of food poisoning incidents.

A STUDY found 80 per cent of bank notes and 78 per cent of credit cards had traces of bacteria like rhino-virus. Dr Ron Cutler, of Queen Mary University of London, says: “We all handle money and credit cards but it is unlikely we wash our hands afterwards.”

BUG BUSTER: Don’t touch your face after handling cards or cash. Bacteria can enter your nose and mouth.

THE SUN (United Kingdom) Oct 18, 2012
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/health/health/4595030/Dishing-the-dirt-on-the-germs-in-your-home.html