Bethany Kraus avoids touching paper money whenever she can. “I hate how dirty it is so I always use my debit card, says Kraus, Lincoln, Neb., junior. “That money could have been inside a stripper’s g-string for all you know.”
DIrty money: You may be collecting more than just change when you're handed back dollar bills. Germs also live on money, potentially spreading bacteria that can cause strep throat and staph infections.
Paper money usually comes in contact with several different people every day, allowing it to collect germs and bacteria. A 2001 study by Dr. Peter Ender found that 86 percent of the bills he studied had germs such as Streptococcus, which causes strep throat, while 7 percent of bills had more harmful bacteria, such as Staphylococcus, which causes staph infections. Only 7 percent of the bills he studied were germ-free.
Jeff Dimond, a spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says it is possible for money to spread germs since bacteria can live on surfaces for several hours. If someone uses the bathroom without washing their hands or sneezes and then gives you money, all of those germs could be passed on to you.
To help prevent the spread of germs and diseases, Dimond suggests getting vaccinated, washing you hands often, using hand sanitizers and keeping your hands away from your nose and mouth.
No comments:
Post a Comment