The ebola outbreak in West Africa, which has already claimed over 4 700 lives and threatens to kill over 20 000 more people according to the World Health Organisation, has raised everyone’s awareness of the risk of infections.
The ebola outbreak in West Africa, which has already claimed over 4 700 lives and threatens to kill over 20 000 more people according to the World Health Organisation, has raised everyone’s awareness of the risk of infections.
We know that ebola is transmitted in body fluids, so, as long as you do not come into direct contact with a victim, you have no risk of infection.
But what about other diseases that are caused by bacteria and viruses? How easily are they spread, and how can we avoid infection?
Recent research has revealed that bank notes are amongst the filthiest items that we handle on a regular basis.
Other dirty items that we touch regularly include escalator hand rails, door knobs, ATM buttons, sports balls, toilet seats, library books, all of which are touched by many people, clean and unclean.
We sneeze and cough into our hands, which accumulate germs, and even fondle the filthy snotty noses of kids and pets.
Independent tests on European money carried out by scientists at Oxford University recently revealed that the average bank note contains over 26 000 bacteria, enough germs to make you feel nauseous and possibly even spread disease.
Even the cleanest notes tested contained 2 400 bacteria, with Swiss Francs and Danish Kroner being the worst bacterial traffickers.
Another study in Europe found that 80% of bank notes tested carried enough germs to be harmful to people with lowered immunity, and that 7% showed traces of bacteria that could cause serious illness, including Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia.
Only 7% were germ-free.
A further study carried out by Switzerland’s University Hospitals of Geneva found that some flu viruses may survive for 17 days on Swiss bank notes.
Fortunately South Africa does not have a problem that they have encountered in the USA where a 2009 study revealed that up to 90% of their bank notes contained not only a plethora of germs but also traces of cocaine! What can we do about it?
Wash our hands often with antiseptic soap especially before eating, keep our fingers away from our eyes, nose and mouth, handle bank notes as infrequently as possible, refuse to accept dirty notes, and use online banking services whenever possible.
Another way to reduce the risk of spreading infectious diseases is to replace the traditional handshake with a fist pump.
Scientists have found that clasping hands transfers ten times more germs than fist pumping.
They recommend that “for the sake of improving public health people should be encouraged to use the fist pump as a simple, socially acceptable and more hygienic alternative to the handshake”.
In Bahrain I have detected a certain smugness regarding these potential means of infection.
Very few Bahrainis ever handle actual money and their modes of greeting involve various forms of distance communication, especially between men and women.
They forget, however, that it is common for their men to bear hug, kiss or even nose rub one another, in the style of Inuits, which surely increases the risk of infection?
Professor Mike Bruton is the Director of the Bahrain Science Centre. He was previously founder of the Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes University and Director of the then JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology in Grahamstown.
