Fecal bacteria found on McDonald's touch screens

Traces of fecal bacteria have been found on touch screens in several McDonald's restaurants in London and Birmingham, UK, according to the UK-based tabloid metro.co.uk.

The study was conducted with the help of the London Metropolitan University School of Humanities. These were touchscreen swabs in eight McDonald's restaurants in the United Kingdom – six in London and two in Birmingham. The display stands serve as self-service kiosks allowing customers to order their meals at several McDonald's restaurants.

The study found that all screens tested had coliforms. Coliforms are a broad class of bacteria found in the environment, including human and animal feces. The presence of coliforms in the drinking water indicates possible contamination and potential health risk.

A cocktail of very dangerous bacteria

Professor Paul Matawele, a senior professor of microbiology at London Metropolitan University, told Metro UK: "We were all surprised by the amount of intestinal and fecal bacteria present on touch screens. These cause the type of infections that people contract in hospitals.

Enterococcus faecalis

"For example, Enterococcus faecalis is part of the flora of the gastrointestinal tract of healthy humans and other mammals. It is notorious in hospitals to cause infections acquired in the hospital. "

staphylococcus

Staphylococcus, a bacterium that can cause blood poisoning and toxic shock syndrome

"There is a lot of fear right now that staph is becoming resistant to antibiotics. However, it is still very dangerous in places like Africa where it can cause a toxic shock. "

Listeria

Listeria bacteria has been found in branches of Oxford Street and Holloway Road. Listeriosis can lead to miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women.

Dr. Matewele said, "Listeria is another rare bacterium that we were shocked to find on touchscreen machines because it can be very contagious again and pose a problem for people with weakened immune systems. "

Proteus

Three quarters of the screens removed had traces of the proteus bacteria.

Dr. Matewele said: "Proteus is found in human and animal faeces. It is also widely distributed in the soil. It can cause urinary tract infections and is also one of the infections acquired in the hospital where it can be responsible for sepsis.

Klebsiella

"Klebsiella also comes from the intestines and mouth. They are associated with urinary tract infections, sepsis and diarrhea. Some species can infect the respiratory tract, resulting in pneumonia. "

Screens are cleaned frequently

A spokesperson for McDonald's said, "Our self-check screens are cleaned frequently throughout the day. All our restaurants also offer guests the opportunity to wash their hands before eating. "

McDonald's cleans the screens with a disinfectant, but Dr. Matawele said "she could not have been strong enough.

What about touch screens in McDonald's Malaysia?

Simillar kiosks have been available at McDonald's restaurants in Malaysia since last October. Kiosks are very popular with McDonald's customers because they make ordering and paying for meals quick and convenient.

We have contacted McDonald's Malaysia to comment on this case and await its response.

In the meantime, here's what you can do

The kiosks are practical, that's for sure. Does this mean that we should all stop using them? Maybe not, but maintaining good general hygiene is always a good thing. If you continue to use the kiosks, be sure to wash your hands before taking a bite of this juicy Big Mac.

The World Health Organization recommends taking a minute to wash your hands thoroughly. It is not enough to put your hands under running water. There is a method for a pair of clean hands. Watch the video to find out how.

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