YOUR Apple Watch or Fitbit could harbour harmful bacteria with the potential to make you very sick, a horrifying study has revealed.
US scientists warned that failing to clean such devices when worn virtually every hour of the day can lead to people suffering from boils, diarrhoea and even sepsis.
GettyNearly all of the wristbands were contaminated with bacteria[/caption]
The team from Florida Atlantic University swabbed a range of popular wristbands to find out how many germs really latch on.
The stomach-churning results found most were brimming with E. coli and Staphylococcus, which can lead to pneumonia (a deadly chest infection).
Watch bands made from plastic, rubber and cloth stored the most bacteria, according to the vile results.
While bands made of metals like gold and silver were the most sanitary.
Prof Nwadiuto Esiobu, study co-author, said: “Plastic and rubber wristbands may provide a more appropriate environment for bacterial growth as porous and static surfaces tend to attract and be colonised by bacteria.”
The research, published in the journal Advances in Infectious Diseases, found nearly all of the wristbands sampled – 95 per cent – were contaminated with some form of bacteria.
Staphylococcus, which causes skin infections like sores and boils, was found on 85 per cent of watch bands.
And pseudomonas, which can lead to several serious infections including urinary tract infections, was found on 30 per cent of bands – which the authors said was a “public health concern”.
The gut bacteria E. coli, which is primarily spread through faecal-oral transmission, was found on 60 per cent of wristbands.
An E. coli infection can lead to severe stomach pain, bloody diarrhoea and kidney failure.
Both types of bacteria can trigger sepsis – a life-threatening reaction to an infection.
It happens when your immune system overreacts to an infection and starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs.
The study results led the authors to test the efficiency of disinfectant methods.
They found Lysol Disinfectant Spray and 70 per cent ethanol were “highly effective”, regardless of the wristband material.
Both products killed 99.99 per cent of all bacteria in 30 seconds, they wrote.
The researchers suggest that, in light of their findings, other common devices, such as earbuds and smartphones, should be also be examined for killer bugs.
A 2019 study found that watches are up to eight times dirtier than a toilet.
It also discovered one in four Brits never cleaned their watches.