Sneeze effect

The next time you come down with a bout of diarrhoea, don’t be too quick to point your finger at the seafood salad you had thenight before; your loo may be the culprit. 

Catching an illness from germinfested toilets may be just as common as falling ill as a result of exposure to other sources of contamination, say scientists. 

Dr John Peter Gerba says bacteria and viruses can be transmitted via public toilets just as easily as they can through person-to-person contact. 

“Not many people are aware of hygiene practices in the toilet, even though it is a common place where all germs are going to meet. 

And let’s face it, everyone ends up going to the toilet,” says Dr Gerba. Plus, he says micro-organisms are always evolving, and toilets can enhance their spread. 

A major cause of this spread is what Dr Gerba calls the toilet “sneeze effect” – an “explosion” of water particles that creates an aerosol containing faecal particles, bacteria and possibly virusesas a result of flushing the toilet. 

These particles can be inhaled or ingested and often travel around the toilet because of air currents. They eventually settleon surfaces: the floor, toilet seat, sinks and just about anywhere where the bacteria and viruses can continue to thrive – especially if the surface is wet. 

If that’s not bad enough, the air currents can carry the particles out of the toilet to the surrounding areas. 

Dr Gerba says the most contaminated spot within the toilet is the exterior of the sanitary napkin disposal unit. 

“And in the United States, you have to lift the lid with your hands, which is bad.” 

In second, third and fourth places respectively are the sink taps, toilet seats and the floor.  

If your first instinct is to put down the toilet bowl lid the next time you flush, think again, says John Gordon, the marketing manager at Rentokil Initial Asia. 

“The toilet seat is not a perfect seal so you’ll still get spillage but it won’t be as bad but remember that what you’re left with is a reservoir of bacteria and they will certainly come out when the next person flushes.” 

Adds Dr Gerba: “The droplets will end up at the bottom of the toilet seat if you flush with the lid closed, so when you lift it, youwill get it on your hands. 

“Closing the toilet seat doesn’t really solve the problem.” While the sneeze effect cannot be stopped, its effects can be lessened by adding a liquid disinfectantor sanitizer to the water in the toilet bowl. 

Says Gordon: “From a hygienic point of view, it doesn’t stop the action of flushing, but it makes sure that what comes out is disinfected.” 

If you get the jitters every time you visit a public loo, you are not alone, says Dr Gerba. 

“People are suspicious of public toilets because they don’t have any control over it. There’s no assurance that when they go in, itwill be clean and sanitary. 

“In interviewing people, I’ve found that the two things they’re most scared of are the toilet seat and the door knob. A lot of people will use paper or towels to open the door or avoid touching it any way they can. 

“Some people push their way out with elbows, but the doorknob doesn’t seem as big as aproblem because enough people wash their hands. 

“On the other hand, the toilet seat, sinks and taps, and floor are big areas of concern that need attention.” 

Dr Gerba estimates that about 48% of all women in the United States wipe and put paper on the toilet seat before using it, butcautions that just wiping without using a disinfectant is futile because it spreads the germs around rather than kill them. 

Wiping the floor with a wet mop presents the same dilemma and makes the situation worse. 

“It’s like taking water out of the toilet bowl and swishing it all over the place.” 

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