plumbers
Posted on 02/18/2006 12:24:52 AM PST by beaversmom
Horror stories of harmful bacteria living on surfaces in public places are the bread-and-butter of scare-mongering television, but is there any scientific evidence to support the claim that these invisible microbes can do us serious harm? Well, yes and no.
According to a recent study, conducted by the Korean Consumer Protection Board, which examined the surfaces of a number of commonly used objects, shopping cart handles were found to have the largest colonies of bacteria. Yep, even more than that old stalwart, the public bathroom door handle. The study ran tests for bacterial content on six of the most frequently handled public items, and, as you might have guessed, the results appear suitably worrying.
Shopping cart handles are at the top of the report's scary-six list, with 1,100 colony-forming units of bacteria per 10 cm2, followed by the mice used in an Internet cafe, which had an average of 690 colony-forming units. Hand straps on buses are the next bacterial stronghold with 380 units, followed by bathroom door handles at 340. On the face of it, these results indicate that supermarket chains should distribute rubber gloves, respirators and disinfectant to any shoppers plucky enough to enter their premises, and Internet cafes - in the Chinese style - should be shut down immediately. But does the study really indicate a clear and present danger to public health?
In Australia, The New South Wales Food Authority believes that: "the risk of shopping equipment transmitting food-borne disease is minimal. However, microbiological organisms are present everywhere in our environment, including on our hands and clothes, and may be present on shopping equipment which appears otherwise clean." Hmm, well, I'm glad they clarified things for us.
In the face of bacteria hysteria, it's worth remembering that bacteria are everywhere, and we've been happily co-existing with them for millennia. And don't forget that regular doses of bacteria are believed to strengthen and prime our immune systems. Which mean that these latest findings shouldn't cause alarm, it's unlikely that you'll become a victim of the evil bacterial juggernaut.
And in any case, the Korean team responsible for the new report says that there is one sure-fire way to annihilate those possibly harmful bacteria picked up at the supermarket. After you have finished your shopping you need to mix CH3-(CH2)n-COONa with water and apply vigorously to the affected area (that's soap and water to you and me).
One grocery in my area has sanitary wipes available near the door for shoppers who want to wipe their carts.
I bet I know where a lot of these germs are coming from -- it's kids who sit in the seats at the front of the carts. They cough, sneeze, slobber, and sniffle on the handles, as well as rubbing wonderful bitty critters from their diaper area on the little fold down plastic plate. I avoid putting things in that part of the cart, especially fresh foods.
There is technology nowadays for embedding bacteria resistance into surfaces. Cart handles and kid sitting areas would be a good application for that.
Sometimes, the things that are expected to be dirty are often cleaner than those that are expected to be clean.
For example, in the mentioned toilet and shopping cart, the toilet will be cleaned far more often than the cart will be, just because the toilet is expected to get dirty faster and more frequently than shopping carts, hence deserving a regular hygiene and maintenance regimen.
I'd not be surprised of someone finds restaurant ketchup dispensers to be dirtier on the outside than toilet door handles.
Bacteria hysteria ? They'd better stay away from the cheese section !
In growcery stores I always wear my gloves, or throw my coat or sweater over the handle. When using public restrooms, I grab the door with the corner of my coat or shirt, also when entering a public building. Incidently, men are far less likely to wash their hands after using the rest room. I avoid touching my eyes, mouth or nose as much as possible and wash when I get home. Seems to work pretty well. I get sick a lot less than before.
If we don't nip this unseen bacteria (BUT ITS EVERYWHERE!) hysteria in the bud it will cause a whole lot of neurotic behavior in our country. If you become obsessed with sterilization, you will be creating a powerful new environment for bacteria. Stop at your local plumbers business one day and ask the owner about the health of plumbers (its good and stronger than most).
I'm more afraid of all those anti-bacterial products than I am of the germs. I would never buy hand soap with that stuff in it, and I never use Lysol or anything like that. People who are so worried about a few stray bacteria are often more susceptible to infections. One place where I do worry about bacteria (like staph and strep) is a doctor's office or hospital--good places to avoid if at all possible.
plumbers
Bingo. 20 years of living in Asia has taught me two things about common bacteria and viruses: 1) Locals don't get sick nearly as much as foreigners. I assume because they have built up a tolerance. 2) Foreigners don't get sick nearly as often or as seriously as one would think they would going strictly by the bacteria count on food containers, local (un)sanitary practices and all that. The numbers don't translate to nearly as serious a problem as so many articles and researchers suggest.
For some reason, that never occured to me. Thanks for mentioning it.
I always exit public bath rooms by opening the door using the paper towel I just dried my hands with, if there's is no waste basket near the door the paper towel goes on the floor.
If they have those blow dryers for hands, toilet tissue works just as well for opening doors.
Curious here. How can anti-bacterial hand soap hurt me? Thanks.
That'd be right...in NZ, we had a microbiologist swab dozens of surfaces including toilet environs for germs and the two worst were computer keyboards (from eating and/or going to toilet without cleaning their hands properly) and escalator rails.
If they have those blow dryers for hands, toilet tissue works just as well for opening doors.
I actually use the handle to open doors, because I know nobody else does.
The most common symptoms experienced by you (cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever) are caused by viruses. Antibacterial products don't kill viruses. And for the symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, which may be caused by bacteria, the people who used regular soaps had no greater risk than those who used antibacterial products.
Many scientists fear that the widespread use could lead to a strains of resistant bacteria, and the ingredients will not be effective for the times when they really are needed.
If you have youngsters, most scientists accept the hygiene hypothesis, which centers on the idea that children need to be exposed to some bacteria in early childhood in order to strengthen their immune systems.
Plain old soap, water and a vigorous scrubbing should be all that's needed.
Japan Firm Finds Human Bacteria Effective for Skin Disease
Okayama, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)--Ohayo Dairy Products Co. said Thursday its experiments have revealed that L-55 lactic acid bacteria, a human intestine parasite, helps alleviate the allergy atopic dermatitis.
The company, based in this western Japan city, plans to release the results at a meeting hosted by the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology and Agrochemistry in Kyoto, scheduled for March.
The experiments were conducted jointly with Okayama University Prof. Chiaki Kamei last autumn. Infected mice that were given the L- 55 bacteria were less susceptible to the allergy than infected mice that were not, even when both groups were given an inflammation- inducing agent.
The L-55 bacteria also reduced scratching among the mice, company officials said. Atopic dermatitis patients tend to suffer from intense itching of the skin.END
Sounds like a good idea.
I've worried about little kids who ride in carts after I have used them. My daughter says someone has invented a sort of seat that mothers can put in carts, before placing their children in the carts.
Other places I've wondered about -- pharmacies, (since sick people are handling the boxes of analgesics, cold medicines, pepto-bismol etc.) and gyms (since so many people place their hands on the same handles).
Because I usually have handled many packages of beef and chicken, before picking out the ones I wanted to take home.
I can place the packages that I choose into plastic produce bags, but I don't place my hands in bags. I use my hands to push the cart and pick up other products in the store.
My 90-year old mother was the only family member to get a "stomach virus" -- the day after we went to the pharmacy section of a large chain store.
My son works as a clerk in a pharmacy, and is often the first family member to come down with the "latest" bug.
Widespread use of products containing these agents could lead to the evolution of superbugs that are immune to them. There is also the theory that children who grow up in a normal environment develop natural immunities to bacteria. Using antibacterial products deprives them of this opportunity.
Also, the primary agent, triclosan, has been shown to kill human cells. Most importantly, using these antibacterials has not been shown to reduce the incidence of infection.
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