A place where germs and bacteria is made

How you should always flush

Shigella bacteria passes very easily among people, especially when you forget to wash your hands (or if you’re among the 95 percent of people who don’t correctly wash their hands). These bacterium causes shigellosis, but you’re probably more likely to recognize one of its trademark infections: dysentery.

Shigellosis causes infectious, severe diarrhea, abdominal cramping and other gastrointestinal distress that may last for about a week (although some types, such as dysentery, are known to be nasty enough to cause epidemics). And while the bacteria are most infectious during the diarrhea phase of the condition, they remains willing and able to infect you for weeks after their host is feeling better.

If you are a germophobe, when it comes to pigsties, you probably think of single men first. They may appear to be wallowing in filth, but single men’s abodes actually tend to have lower bacteria counts since they rarely clean and don’t spread the germs around. Sparkling clean does not always equal germ free. In fact, women’s public restrooms contained twice as much fecal bacteria as men’s, probably because women are often accompanied by small children and babies in need of a change.

They may appear to be wallowing in filth, but single men’s abodes actually tend to have lower bacteria counts since they rarely clean and don’t spread the germs around.
Laundry is yet another germ fest. Turns out, it doesn’t all come out in the wash. Never one to mince words, Gerba says, “Basically, if you do undergarments in one load and handkerchiefs in the next, you’re blowing your nose in what was in your underwear.” It’s better to make underwear the last load. Use chlorine bleach, which will clean both the clothes and your washing machine.

“Germs never give up — they always find a way. We’re always discovering new ones.” 

Especially fascinating for Gerba is how some viruses affect the brain and the possibility that they could be a contributing factor to mental illness. Other studies show that viruses could be responsible for obesity and common illnesses. For example, ulcers used to be attributed to stress and lifestyle, but now 95 percent of ulcers are attributed to bacteria.

Shigella infections, similar to E. coli, happen when an infected person’s feces contaminates a surface — and, yes, those surfaces include toilets, toilet handles and toilet seats. You can also become infected if you consume contaminated food or water handled by an infected person who hasn’t practiced good hygiene. Not to scare you, but about 14,000 cases are reported in the U.S. every year [source: CDC].
The best way to keep a toilet and its seat free of shigella bacteria is to clean it with bleach. Otherwise, keep the bacteria at bay by washing your hands, and if you just don’t trust that toilet seat, wipe it down with a disinfectant or antibacterial wipe before you sit.