Dangerous bacteria and fungi lurk in places that one cannot avoid coming into contact with. Veenu Sandhu lists five unlikely hotspots where infections breed.
BEAUTY SALONS
Scissors, nail file, clipper, and cuticle pushers are often used on multiple people
The good news is that most beauty salons, big and small, now use disposable waxing strips and not the unhygienic swathes of cloth which they would wash and reuse till a few years ago. The bad news is that many of them still use the same manicure and pedicure kits on different people, often without sterilising them. So, you end up soaking your hands and feet in the tub which dozens of people might have used before you. Scissors, nail file and clipper, cuticle pushers and nailbrush, all are used on multiple people. Skin specialists say they frequently get cases of toes and fingertips swollen with pus. At times, the infection causes fever and might have to be treated with antibiotics. Fungal infections and warts, which are both painful and contagious, can occur. In extreme cases, a superbug called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can also strike in a salon.
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ELEVATOR BUTTONS & ESCALATOR HANDRAILS
The number of bacteria on an elevator button is 40 times higher than on a public toilet seat
Gross as it may sound, studies show that elevator buttons and escalator handrails in malls and supermarkets are among the germiest places and carry faecal bacteria and E.coli, which can cause mild to severe diarrhoea. With hundreds of people touching elevators buttons and escalator handrails in a day, the potential of bacteria buildup is high. One finding shows that the number of bacteria present on an elevator button is almost 40 times higher than on a public toilet seat. Besides E.coli, the other common ones are staphylococcus aureus and MRSA. Being a closed space, an elevator, especially in a mall, airport, hotel or a busy office building, also carries the risk of transmitting air-borne diseases.
Use a sanitiser after pushing an elevator button. And if you aren't carrying one, then use the elbow or the knuckle to push the button.
HOTEL TV REMOTE
TV remotes in hotels carry faecal bacteria coliform which can cause dysentery, typhoid, viral and bacterial gastroenteritis
The next time you walk into a hotel room, be armed with a sanitiser. Use it promptly after turning the lights on. And then clean your hands with it every time you touch the TV remote. Used more than the toilet seat, light switches and TV remotes are the two germ hotspots in a hotel. They have been found to test positive for streptococcus and staphylococcus, which can cause skin diseases and several other infections of a more serious nature if it enters the bloodstream. Besides these, the presence of faecal bacteria coliform has also been found which can cause dysentery, typhoid, viral and bacterial gastroenteritis and even Hepatitis A.
It might be a good idea to wipe the remote with a sanitiser before you pick it up. You could do the same with knobs, door handles and the telephone.
HOSPITALS
Microbes in hospitals become resistant to antibiotics, making the infection harder to cure
Hospitals are supposed to cure you, but then they are also known to harbour dangerous, disease-causing micro-organisms. Patients, especially babies and the elderly, are more susceptible to hospital infections. What's worse is that the microbes in the hospital are the ones that have become resistant to antibiotics. Hospital-acquired infections, also called nosocomial infection, which include fungal and bacterial infections, are thus harder to cure. It's usually patients with low immunity who are more prone to such infections. Attendants of patients who have a prolonged stay in a hospital can also get infected.
Here the role of the hospital is critical in keeping the environment sanitised. Frequent washing of the hands, wearing gloves, sterilisation and surface sanitation can prevent such infections.
ATM MACHINES
Contagious air-borne diseases like chickenpox and flu can also be contracted
The next time you reach out to press the buttons of an ATM, remember this: cash machines are often as contaminated as public toilets. Research has established that pseudomonads and bacillus - bacteria which are known to cause sickness and diarrhoea - are commonly found on ATM machines. The busier an ATM machine, the greater the number of germs it harbours. Which means, heavily used ATMs, like those in Delhi's bustling Nehru Place or Connaught Place and the ones at the Churchgate railway station in Mumbai, would tend to be more contaminated given that hundreds of people use them in a day.
Because the ATM chamber is a closed space, the risk of picking up a viral infection is also greater there. So, along with infections that spread through touch, contagious air-borne diseases like chickenpox and flu can also be contracted. Like ATMs, shopping trolleys are also major carriers of germs. A study at the University of Arizona found that handles of shopping trolleys carry more bacteria per inch than supermarket toilets. What's worse is that unlike toilets which are cleaned regularly, the trolleys aren't.
Wearing gloves and face masks while stepping into an ATM booth is an option, but it's not practical and might even be extreme. Doctors say the safest, and simplest, thing to do is to use a hand sanitiser.
