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Cold Germs Lurk For Days

Posted on: Wednesday, 29 October 2008, 08:30 CDT

A new study found cold sufferers often leave their germs in common places like the TV remote, door handle, and even salt and pepper shakers, where they survive for two days or longer. 

Scientists at the University of Virginia, famous for its virology research, tested surfaces in the homes of people with colds and reported the results at the nation's premier conference on infectious diseases.

Doctors studied how often people catch colds from touching germy surfaces, said Dr. Birgit Winther, an ear, nose and throat specialist who helped conduct the study.

Two years ago, Winther and other doctors showed germs survived in hotel rooms a day after guests left, waiting to be picked up by the next person checking in.

This time around, researchers studied 30 adults showing early symptoms of colds.

Sixteen tested positive for rhinovirus, which causes about half of all colds. They were asked to name 10 places in their homes they had touched in the preceding 18 hours, and researchers used DNA tests to hunt for rhinovirus.

"We found that commonly touched areas like refrigerator doors and handles were positive about 40 percent of the time" for cold germs, Winther said.

All three of the salt and pepper shakers they tested were contaminated, 6 out of 18 doorknobs; 8 of 14 refrigerator handles; 3 of 13 light switches; 6 of 10 remote controls; 8 of 10 bathroom faucets; 4 of 7 phones, and 3 of 4 dishwasher handles.

Researchers then deliberately contaminated surfaces with participants' mucus and tested to see whether rhinovirus stuck to their fingers when they turned on lights, answered the phone or did other common tasks.

More than half of the participants got the virus on their fingertips 48 hours after the mucus was smeared.

In another study, the university's Drs. Diane Pappas and Owen Hendley tested toys in the offices of five pediatricians in Fairfax, Va., three times during last year's cold and flu season.

The results showed cold viruses on 20 percent of all toys tested - 20 percent of those in the "sick child" waiting room, 17 percent in the "well child" waiting room, and 30 percent in a sack of toys that kids are allowed to choose from after being good for a shot.

"Mamas know this," Hendley said. "They say, 'We go to a doctor for a well-child checkup, the kids play with the toys and two days later they have a cold.'"

There is no absolute proof that the remnants can infect, but their presence suggests a risk, said Dr. Paul Auwaerter, an infectious-diseases specialist at Johns Hopkins University.

Doctors have long advised frequent hand-washing to avoid spreading germs, and even suggested wearing surgical masks and using hand sanitizers.

The conference was a joint meeting of the American Society for Microbiology and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

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On the Net:

• University of Virginia
• American Society for Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases Society of America

Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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