Sydney, July 2 (Inditop.com) Do you frequent a cyber cafe? If yes, then think twice as shared keyboards in cyber cafes and elsewhere are swarming with deadly germs and are potential sources of infection, according to a recent study.
Conducted by researchers from Swinburne University of Technology (SUT), Australia, the study examined the number and type of micro-organisms on computer keyboards in three large, multiple-user facilities on the university campus.
These were compared with staff computers that were generally handled by only one person. The study found almost five times the number of micro-organisms on the keyboards of multiple user computers as on single-user computers.
Almost half the multiple-user keyboards were found to harbour Staphylococcus aureus, also known as golden staph, compared with one-fifth of the single user keyboards, said a SUT release.
“High use, multiple user Internet cafes and computer labs are potential hot spots for harbouring micro-organisms,” said Enzo Palombo, study co-author.
“Given that computers are not routinely disinfected, the potential for transmitting disease is great. Organisations need to be more rigorous in keeping shared equipment clean.
“Keyboards and other hand contact areas such as a computer mouse should be regularly cleaned and disinfected, especially for multiple-user workstations,” Palombo said.
The study is slated for publication in the July issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
rounak