“Lifting the lid on computer filth”
BBC NEWS, 3/12/04

“Office workers are exposed to more germs from their phones and keyboards than toilet seats, scientists reveal.

Work stations contain nearly 400 times as many microbes than lavatories, it is claimed.

Office equipment should be regularly disinfected to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria responsible for disease.

The reality of our grubby working environments is exposed in a study by the University of Arizona.

A desk is capable of supporting 10 million microbes and the average office contains 20,961 microbes per square inch, according to research.

Desks are really bacteria cafeterias
Charles Gerba, microbiologist

The key offenders are telephones, which harbour up to 25,127 microbes per square inch, keyboards 3,295 and computer mice 1,676.

By contrast, the average toilet seat contains 49 microbes per square inch, the survey showed. (more…)