Do you have a habit of keeping the festival braceletson the wrist as a lucky souvenir? An English microbiologist invites you to review this reflex. As the summer festivals succeed one another, the site Science Dump recalls the discovery made by Alison Cottell, researcher at the University of Surrey in Great Britain. She observed with a magnifying glass these apparently harmless strips of fabric or paper. What she saw in her microscope is enough to offend the most hygienic sensibilities. On the samples examined and coming from two festival-goers who took part in the legendary Reading festival in 2013, rock events in Great Britain held in August, the scientist spotted a bacteria nest 20 times more important than that found on classic clothes.
A risk of transmission to vulnerable people
In detail, more than 9000 micrococci and 2000 staphylococcihave been identified on the bracelets. These can cause infections if these microorganisms come into contact with damaged skin. In the most serious cases, this can lead to complications, up to and including sepsis. These bacteria can also present a danger and be transmitted to people with fragile health.
For the British academic, recently interviewed by the DailyMail, you should therefore avoid keeping your bracelets on your wrist after the festival to avoid any health risk. This measure should be respected even more among people who work in restaurants but also among health professionals since certain strains of staphylococci are antibiotic resistant.
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