Member Article

Filthy phones

(If you tend to read the bdaily over lunch, then you may want to finish eating before reading today’s And Finally.) Mobile phones are dirtier than toilet seats and are crawling with potentially lethal bacteria, reveals the Daily Mail. Tens of thousands of microbes are on each square inch of phone, as a result of constant handling and a warm breeding ground. Bacteria that could be found on phones include Staphylococcus Aureus, which can cause illnesses from pimples and boils to pneumonia and meningitis. Joanna Verran, professor of microbiology at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “Mobile phones are stored in bags or pockets, are handled frequently and held close to the face. “In other words, they come into contact with more parts of our body and a wider range of bacteria than toilet seats. The phones contained more skin bacteria than any other object. This could be due to the fact that this type of bacteria increase in high temperatures and our phones are perfect for breeding these germs as they are kept warm and cosy in pockets, handbags and briefcases.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .