Study Finds E. coli Bacteria in 1 Out of 6 Mobile Phones

There is something in your mobile phone and you wouldn’t like it. A UK-wide study conducted by London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to coincide with the celebration of Global Handwashing Day over the weekend, revealed that one in six mobile phones in Britain is contaminated with E. coli with fecal matter origin.

We must take note that fecal bacteria can survive on hands and surfaces for hours at a time, especially in warmer temperatures away from sunlight. It is easily transferred through door handles, food and even mobile phones. From there, the germs can be picked up by other people.

Hygiene expert and UK campaign leader for Global Handwashing Day Dr Val Curtis, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said:

“This study provides more evidence that some people still don’t wash their hands properly, especially after going to the toilet. I hope the thought of having E. coli on their hands and phones encourages them to take more care in the bathroom – washing your hands with soap is such a simple thing to do but there is no doubt it saves lives.”

Peter Barratt, Technical Manager at Initial Washroom Solutions, stressed on the importance of washing:

“Today’s research is shocking and demonstrates the importance of effective hygiene. It is critical that people take hand hygiene seriously and that businesses offer their employees and customers a practical way of protecting themselves to help combat the spread of illness.”

Although 95% of people said they washed their hands with soap wherever possible, 92% of phones and 82% of hands had bacteria on them. Does this mean that someone’s lying about washing their hands?

Global Handwashing Day, held on October 15 every year, aims to transform the action of washing hands with soap into an automatic behavior, deeply set in our daily lives.

This study only proves one thing, that people are still not washing their hands properly with soap after their visit to the toilet. We can only bet that these findings are not only true in the UK but everywhere as well. Go wash your hands after reading this post.