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 KEEPING
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>>> WHAT'S
GROWING IN YOUR CAR ?
“Top Gear” Test Results.
A study showed
that there are greater quantities of nasty germs
inhabiting the average seat of a tube train than under the rim of a
toilet! This prompted BBC’s “TOP GEAR” to carry out their own
investigations. They performed tests on an Audi A6. Swabs were taken from the foot well, boot, glove box, driver's seat, headrest, steering wheel,
air-conditioning vent &
a child seat. These were wiped on agar
plates &
left to incubate in a lab for four days. 271 colonies of
bacteria &
moulds were identified. Although, after a superficial glance, the A6 seemed relatively
clean, it was in fact remarkably mouldy. Mould spores are ubiquitous in the
environment, being present in both air &
soil. In the “Top Gear” tests, spores were
isolated from most parts of the car, being particularly numerous in areas
where soil accumulates. In fact, more colonies of all types of germ were
found in the driver's foot well than anywhere else in the car.
Of
the organisms singled out by the tests, some sound more concerning than others.
The bacterium Staphylococcus Aureus was found to inhabit the steering wheel,
probably as a result of nose picking or sneezing whilst driving.
Disease-causing strains of Staph.A. can result in skin & throat infections,
food poisoning & toxic shock syndrome. One strain of this organism, the
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, or MRSA, is a major cause of wound
& systemic infections & can represent a serious threat to health and life. Also present in the Audi A6 was the organism Escherichia Coli. The
presence of this organism in food or water is an indicator of faecal
contamination; the same principles can be applied to surfaces, where it
indicates poor personal hygiene. In fairness, the “Top Gear” team felt that
they should point out that the Audi wasn't all germ-ridden. As to the cleanest
area of the Audi tested (arguably against expectations), this was the child
seat, setting a fine example. However,
they concluded by saying that, just because we cannot see the germs and disease
this doesn't mean that they are not there.
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