Kitchen Towels Are Breeding Grounds for Disease-Causing Bacteria, Study

New research has found that kitchen towels are packed with disease-causing bacteria that can sicken an entire family.

University of Mauritius researchers analyzed up to 100 kitchen towels provided by volunteers after using them for one month. Laboratory tests revealed that 49% of the towels were laden with bad bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and E. Coli.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that bacteria can lead to food poisoning when people are exposed to the bugs in contaminated foods. For instance, you can get infected with E. Coli when eating something that has human feces on it. Staphylococcus aureus can be carried by healthy people that don’t wash their hands before handling food.

Scientists found that kitchen towels can turn into a biological hazard when they are used for prolonged periods of times and are not dried shortly after use. Moist towels are perfect breeding grounds for the said bacteria, researchers found.

Lead author Susheela Biranjia-Hurdoyal warned that there are other risk factors that can lead to bacterial contamination in the kitchen. Dr. Biranjia-Hurdoyal advises large families with elderly and children to keep their kitchen squeaky clean.

Kitchen Towels Packed with Harmful Bacteria

Study authors found high levels of Staph in the kitchen towels in the kitchens of lower-income families. Also, families that consumed meat were more likely to get infected with E. Coli and Staphylococcus aureus that vegetarian families.

The data indicated that unhygienic practices while handling non-vegetarian food could be common in the kitchen,

researchers said.

The team advises the public to stick to food safety guidelines to lower the risk of food-borne diseases. Also, people should wash their hands after every visit to the toilet and before handling food.

Also, if you are sick stay away from the kitchen, and let somebody else prepare your food.
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