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.