Some hands are as dirty as toilet seats, study finds

MORETHAN one in 10 people’s hands are so contaminated with faecal organisms that the levels of bacteria detected were equal to what you would expect to find in a dirty toilet bowl, a new study has suggested.

Out of the samples taken, 11% of hands, 8% of bank cards and 6% of banknotes showed this form of gross contamination, the study found.

In Britain, one in 10 bank cards (10%) and one in seven notes (14%) were found to be contaminated with some faecal organisms, the research, carried out at Queen Mary, University of London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, showed.

More than a quarter (26%) of hands sampled showed traces of faecal contamination, including bacteria such as E coli, the study found.

The 272 participants who took part in the scientific study were also asked to fill out a questionnaire, with the results revealing only 39% of respondents washed their hands before eating.

The vast majority ( 91%) of respondents also stated they washed their hands after using the toilet, although the levels of faecal organisms contaminating the cards and currency suggested otherwise, researchers said.

Washing hands with soap can reduce diarrhoeal infections by up to 42% but only 69% of people reported doing this whenever possible.

Dr Ron Cutler, who led the research at Queen Mary, said: “Our analysis revealed that by handling cards and money each day we are coming into contact with some potential pathogens revealing faecal contamination including E coli and Staphylococci.

“People may tell us they wash their hands but the research shows us different and highlights just how easily transferable these pathogens are, surviving on our money and cards.”

Dr Val Curtis from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “Our research shows just how important hand washing is — the surprising levels of contamination that we found on everyday objects is a sign that people are forgetting to wash their hands after the toilet, one of the key moments for infection prevention.”

Nick Wilcher, marketing manager of Radox, who funded the study to raise awareness of Global Handwashing Day, said: “Our research highlights just how much bacteria we are exposed to in our everyday lives, on objects such as money and cards.

“We hope this study makes people think twice and encourages people to wash their hands after going to the toilet and before eating.” SCIENTISTS AT Dundee University have made a groundbreaking discovery that could help thousands of people in the UK who suffer a particular form of skin disease.

An international research team led by Professor Irwin McLean found that the `p34 gene’ played a key role in causing the disease punctate PPK, which gives sufferers dots of hard, thickened skin.

The results of the research are published in the journal Nature Genetics.

“We have not only found this gene but we have been able to figure out how it works, which is very important,” said Professor McLean, who is professor of human genetics in the Centre for Dermatology and Genetic Medicine at Dundee.

“When the gene is disrupted or knocked out, the cells in the skin grow too fast and this results in these hard, thick, painful lesions which can be quite debilitating.

“When the gene is working properly then the skin forms normally.

“Knowing about this gene and what it does makes it easier for us to diagnose this form of skin disease and look towards developing new therapies.

“The pathway where this gene functions is a possible drug target although it will need more work to identify how we can take advantage of that.”

The study shows that 11% of hands are grossly contaminated, highlighting the importance of hand washing.