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(Image Source: Wired.com)
BY CANDICE AVILES
It’s every germaphobes
worst nightmare: the ability to actually see the germs on your cell phone. Students in
Britain have made just that scenario possible — through an experiment some are calling
a piece of art.
According to Wired, University of Surrey students put an imprint of their
cell phones onto a petri dish that contained growth media, designed to support micro-organism
growth. They left the petri dishes alone for three days and viola! The bacteria had grown
into some interesting, well, artwork.
Before you freak out about taking a call, the professor
who oversaw the artwork experiment says most of the germs found aren’t harmful.
BUT
The Huffington Post notes, some of the germs found on the phones include “some rogue
staph -- known to cause things such as boils, sinusitis and food poisoning.”
As for
the Staph found on the phones, the professor said it’s not surprising. “The ecological
niche on the body for [Staph] is the nostrils, so a furtive pick of the nose, and quick text
after, and you end up with this pathogen on your smartphone.”
In addition to this
artwork experiment, other research has shown just how much bacteria can grow on your phone.
[Video: Thecreatorsproject]
The chief of family medicine at Children’s Hospital
Colorado, Jeffery Cain, told The Wall Street Journal, “Bacteria and other infectious
agents on a phone can cause flu, pinkeye or diarrhea.” Cain goes on to mention even
fecal contamination has been discovered on phones. He says that can come from a lack
of hand-washing.
To protect yourself and to keep your phone clean you can do a
few things.
“All you have to do is any kind of disinfectant wipe, just wipe it
down a couple times a week, as you would clean your kitchen or your bathroom and it will
take care of all the bacteria.”
Washing your hands before touching your phone also
helps. KING says while you can wipe your phone down, avoid spraying cleaner directly
on it.