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Computer Keyboards Can Harbor High Levels of Bacteria

by Will Safer on May 2, 2008 at 04:23 PM



What exactly is lurking among the letters on your computer keyboard? It could be that bacteria – at levels five times what you'd find on a toilet seat – is waiting for you as you type away, according to researchers who tested computers in a London office.

The bacteria on a typical office keyboard could cause you to become sick, with symptoms similar to food poisoning, such as stomach upset and diarrhea. What causes a keyboard to become a virtual petri dish? Eating food at your desk is the main culprit. Also, not washing your hands after using the bathroom is another.

The microbiologists who conducted the test recommend periodic cleaning of keyboards and computer mice with a lightly moistened, lint-free cloth and alcohol. One of the keyboards tested was so filthy that they actually recommended it be removed from the workplace.

A survey conducted by 'Which? Computing' magazine found that 10 percent of people said they never cleaned their keyboard and that 20 percent admitting to never cleaning their mouse. [Source: Which? Computing]

Tags: breaking news, BreakingNews, health, keyboard

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