One of the public places most associated with germs are public restrooms, and with good reason. According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona, the most common microorganisms associated with outbreaks stemming from public restrooms include shigella, salmonella, norovirus, and hepatitis A virus. Bacteria and viruses are ejected and aerosolized when the toilet is flushed, and these germ-filled droplets land on all surfaces in the restroom, contaminating the environment with infectious microorganisms. Researchers found that 64 percent of the time, the floor in front of the toilet in a public restroom was contaminated with coliform (fecal) bacteria, while 61 percent of the time for sinks, 20 percent of the time for the top of the toilet, 15 percent for the sink faucet, and 6 percent of the time for the toilet handle. According to the researchers, women’s restrooms were significantly more contaminated than men’s restrooms; the middle stall was the most often more contaminated than others, and that airport restrooms were the germiest restrooms of all. The alarming thing is that 95 percent of people report that they wash their hands after using a public restroom, but only 67 percent actually wash their hands; only 33 percent actually use soap, and just 16 percent wash their hands for the prescribed duration of 15 to 20 seconds.
To safeguard against infection, experts advise people to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after using public restrooms.
Bacteria and viruses are the microscopic organisms – otherwise known as germs -- that are responsible for causing and transmitting illness and disease. These microbes are so small, that according to the American Society for Microbiology, if the smallest of all microbes was the size of a baseball, an average bacterium would then be the size of the pitcher's mound, and just one of the millions of cells that make up your body would be the size of the ballpark!
One of the public places most associated with germs are public restrooms, and with good reason. According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona, the most common microorganisms associated with outbreaks stemming from public restrooms include shigella, salmonella, norovirus, and hepatitis A virus. Bacteria and viruses are ejected and aerosolized when the toilet is flushed, and these germ-filled droplets land on all surfaces in the restroom, contaminating the environment with infectious microorganisms. Researchers found that 64 percent of the time, the floor in front of the toilet in a public restroom was contaminated with coliform (fecal) bacteria, while 61 percent of the time for sinks, 20 percent of the time for the top of the toilet, 15 percent for the sink faucet, and 6 percent of the time for the toilet handle. According to the researchers, women’s restrooms were significantly more contaminated than men’s restrooms; the middle stall was the most often more contaminated than others, and that airport restrooms were the germiest restrooms of all. The alarming thing is that 95 percent of people report that they wash their hands after using a public restroom, but only 67 percent actually wash their hands; only 33 percent actually use soap, and just 16 percent wash their hands for the prescribed duration of 15 to 20 seconds.
To safeguard against infection, experts advise people to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after using public restrooms.
