Cholera has swept across Ghana in an unprecedented wave as authorities scramble to implement their too-late quick fixes.
The primary transmission method of cholera is through coming into contact with contaminated faecal matter. It sounds like a difficult proposition, unless you live in a perpetual wasteland of filth like some parts of Accra; which is actually the root cause of this current outbreak.
But it seems you can never be too careful, as a recent article in US web magazine Men’s Health has shown that there are several, everyday items you come into contact with that might carry these bacteria.
Looking at various studies conducted over the years, it shows that even washing your hands after every visit to the washroom would not be as much protection as you would wish. And since the bacteria in faecal matter cause a lot more diseases aside cholera, it is imperative to know these and take measures to protect yourself.
Here are six things that might contain faecal matter and several other bacteria that you didn’t know and come into contact with all the time.
Cell Phone
This one is actually simple; we carry our cell phones everywhere we go, and we never clean it.
It could be carrying anything, with London researchers having found that if it’s not even carrying the E.coli (bacteria found in faecal matter), it could be carrying any other form of bacteria, like influenza and SARS.
ToothBrush
“When you flush your toilet, it can spray aerolised droplets over 20 feet” So if you leave your toothbrush on the bathroom sink, chances are you‘ll be spraying it whenever you flush the toilet.
Eww.
Kitchen Sponge
The Kitchen sponge is always wet, and due to its job comes into constant contact with just about every kind of bacteria; pound for pound, the sponge is probably the nastiest thing you have in your kitchen.
“It could be harbouring 10 million bacteria per square inch- that’s 200,000 times dirtier than your toilet”
Elevator Buttons
Everyone touches it, don’t they? The elevator button is a prime harbinger of all kinds of nasty bacteria that you also come into contact with.
The ATM
It seems the trip to procure more cash might end up giving you more than you bargained for. As another public service equipment, the cash machine comes into contact with every kind of person.
“Each button you touch has an average of 1,200 germs, including cold and flu viruses and E.coli”
Your Keyboard
The demands of the modern world have led to tons of people who live a huge chunk of their lives behind their computers. Even if you aren’t the type, you spend some time behind your computer. And no matter your category, you have certainly taken a meal whilst camped behind the keyboard at least once.
For most of us we’ve done it countless times, making our keyboard a sort of central hosting point for bacteria.
So there you have it, six things that carry countless bacteria that you could scoop up inadvertently. For more on hidden bacteria and for possible fixes to each bacterium problem- check out the Men’s Health article here.