Health chiefs are warning festive shoppers to wash their hands regularly after a study found both faeces and vomit-inducing bugs on self-service check-out screens. The investigation, where scientists analysed swabs from several everyday objects, revealed there were thousands of bacteria on the payment machines.
E.coli, which causes vomiting, was present on nearly all of the surfaces, while faeces and microbes that lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs) were found on self-service screens. A bug commonly found in the vagina, mouth, throat and gut called Candida albicans, which can cause yeast infections, was also discovered on an escalator handrail.
And shoppers may also be at risk if they hot desk at work, as intestinal microbes that can cause a range of infections, including UTIs, were found on computer keyboards. Dr Adam Roberts, chief researcher with the Infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON), who produced the analysis, said self-checkouts had a particularly high viral load.
