We've grown cautious about touching high-traffic surfaces like subway handrails, public restroom door handles, and other items passed between hundreds of hands daily due to germ risks. Now, researchers from New York University (NYU) add ATM keypads to the list. These everyday machines, surprisingly, teem with germs.
To gauge ATM cleanliness, NYU researchers swabbed 66 machines across New York neighborhoods. Results revealed skin bacteria, genito-urinary fungi, parasites linked to infectious diseases, and food traces. Levels rival those in subways and public restrooms. Jane Carlton, NYU's urban microbiology expert, notes most microbes are harmless to healthy people. Even so, keep hand sanitizer handy for your next withdrawal.
