Processing .....please wait.. 
The article has been forwarded.... 
Touch screen devices spread sickness
By siliconindia
|
Tuesday, 19 October 2010, 21:29 IST
Melbourne: People who use iPads and iPhones at Apple stores are at a risk of getting infections and the compnay sould do more to maintain hygiene, said an expert.
A research launched by Peter Collignon, a specialist in infectious diseases at the Australian National University, has found a higher risk of transmitting pathogens from glass surfaces like on iPads to human skin.
"You wouldn't have hundreds of people using the same glass or cup, but theoretically if hundreds of people share the same keyboard or touch pad, then effectively that's what you're doing," the Age cited Collignon as saying. "The germs we transmit via our hands can frequently have germs that can cause anything from the flu to multi-drug resistant diseases," he added.
Earlier this year, a study has found that of four iPads swabbed in two Apple stores, two contained harmful pathogens. One contained Staphylococcus aureus, the most common cause of staph infections, while another registered Corynebacterium minutissimum, a bacteria commonly associated with skin rash.
A study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology cautioned people against sharing their devices, as there was a higher risk of spreading germs from glass surfaces. Collignon said Apple and other gadget stores with touchscreen devices on display should make hand hygiene products "more readily available on counters." Many people visit Apple stores to play with the company's latest gadgets.
"It doesn't have to be anything fancy it just has to be a 70 percent alcohol solution. Maybe the various computer stores can make a more frequent effort to clean their equipment," he said.
So next time when you try a gadget make sure your hands are clean to protect other from you and afterwards to protect yourself.
