I don't like public restrooms and they definently are dirty but they aren't as dirty as people assume. [The obvious urine and poo stains are a different story] Most people are so scared to sit on a toilet seat that they usually end up squatting and use a paper towel to open the door handle which keeps bacteria at bay. This reminds me that I once did a lab report in my microbiology class and swabbed different public places and grew the bacteria on a nutrient agar plate. The water fountain grew a lot more colonies of baterica than the toilet seat did. Gross.
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Originally Posted by salmanjafri
No way?! I would never have thought that!
Are these bacteria that grow in keyboards disease-causing? Article didn't clarify.
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Some of them can be. If someone didn't wash their hands after using the restroom and used a computer the obvious bacteria that would be present would be E. Coli (It's transmitted through a fecal oral route). Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, others can make you sick. Some kinds of E. coli can cause diarrhea, while others cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, pneumonia, and other illnesses but most people get better within 5-7 days. Some kinds of E. coli cause disease by making a toxin called Shiga toxin. The bacteria that make these toxins are called “Shiga toxin-producing” E. coli, or STEC for short. Around 5–10% of those who are diagnosed with STEC infection develop a potentially life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome. Basically your kidneys could stop working and you can develop other serious problems and you need to be hospitalized. But the percentage of that happening is relatively low so the best thing you can do to avoid transmitting this bacteria is to wash your hands before and AFTER you touch a keyboard (or keep hand sanitizer with you) and don't put your fingers in your mouth after you've used a public computer [or your own if your nasty and don't wash your hands after your trip to the bathroom]
i love microbiology
