Coffee Mugs In Office May Contain Fecal Bacteria

Coffee cups used from the office kitchen may not be as clean as you think. The sponge used to clean the cups contains bacteria that may make you fall sick. According to Dr Charles Gerba, a professor of environmental microbiology from the University of Arizona, the communal kitchen sponge that is rarely changed is a key culprit in the development of bacteria.

The recent research has reported that around 90 percent of communal coffee mugs are coated with germs.

• 20 percent of those mugs carry fecal matter
• Coliform bacteria were present on 20% of the coffee cups before and 100% of the coffee cups after wiping with a dish cloth or sponge.
• No E. coli was found on cups prior to wiping. But 20% of coffee cups were positive for E. coli after wiping.

Dr Gerba suggests that, people should avoid drinking tea or coffee in their co-workers’ mugs that may contain fecal bacteria and either one should take his mug to home and put it in dishwasher or should invest in an office cup washer.

Other Bacteria-Carrying Agents

The research team has related the presence of bacteria in smartphones. A study conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2011, found a ratio of contaminated mobile phones with fecal matter as one in six phones in the United States.

Another study led by Dr Scott Kelley from California University disclosed that, men’s offices had remarkably more bacteria than women’s offices. Dr Kelley stated that, “Humans are spending an increasing amount of time indoors, yet we know little about the diversity of bacteria and viruses where we live, work and play.”

Source-Medindia