Since 2006, an e-mail has been making the rounds warning women that the bottom of their purses are smeared with a number of bacteria, including E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. It's true.
A laboratory at the University of Texas, Tyler along with KLTV in Tyler tested eight handbags and found that seven of them were contaminated. "The technician that prepared these plates said she'd never cleaned her purse. And she took one look at them and said she wanted to go home and clean her purse," UT's Dr. Richard Wallace, who specializes in infectious diseases, told KLTV.
The bacteria most frequently found on purses is something called "gram negative rods" or GNRs, which are found in feces, as well as in bathrooms and kitchens that are not cleaned well. They also can be picked up from pets. GNRs include Salmonella, Shigella and E. coli.
For example, one of the eight purses tested at the University of Texas contained mostly enteric bacteria, which is the kind we associate with the gastrointestinal tract, the colon and small intestine. "Obviously we can pick it up in the bathroom or kitchen which suggests that she's been in some of those places," Wallace told KLTV. The owner of the purse admitted she has a habit of placing her purse on the floor of a restaurant restroom or on the top of the toilet tank.
One of the purses tested contained a dangerous organism called Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause skin boils, local infections and in rare cases much more serious illnesses, such as toxic shock syndrome. Another had Acinetobacter baumannii, a bacterium that not only can make someone ill, but also is drug-resistant. It's typically found in hospitals, and the purse's owner said she was in a hospital with that purse several times before it was tested.
Short of throwing out your purse and never carrying one again, what can you do? Snopes.com offers these suggestions:
- Clean your purse or tote bag regularly by either throwing it in the washing machine, scrubbing the outside with a soaped-up wet washcloth, using an antibacterial spray or wiping it down with disposable disinfectant wipes. Remember to not only clean the bottom of the purse, but also the handle or strap and sides.
- Bacteria and viruses latch onto wet surfaces more readily. If you've set your purse on a damp or wet surface, clean it when you get home.
- Never set your purse on a surface where food will be prepared or eaten, such as countertops, tables or even your office desk. Remember, your purse comes into contact with the same surfaces as your shoes. You wouldn't put your shoes on the table, would you?
- This doesn't apply just to women's purses. It also applies to briefcases and backpacks, too! They also need to be regularly cleaned.
--From the Editors at Netscape
