Hands: A Forest of Bacteria
Reported November 04, 2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Contrary to popular belief, women may not be the cleaner gender. A new study suggests their hands contain a wider range of bacteria species than mens.
Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder recently found human hands are breeding grounds for a higher number of bacteria species than once believed, and the palms of womens hands harbor more diverse microbes than mens.
More than 4,700 different species of bacteria were identified on the 102 hands of 51 study participants. A typical hand had 150 different species of bacteria living on it. Interestingly, on average the right and left palms of the same individual contained only 17 percent of the same bacteria.
The study also revealed that after hand washing, some bacteria groups are more abundant; but according to Rob Knight, Ph.D., co-author of the study and an assistant professor at CU-Boulder, it is still important to wash your hands regularly with anti-bacterial soap. The vast majority of bacteria are non-pathogenic, and some bacteria even protect against the spread of pathogens, Dr. Knight was quoted as saying. From a public health standpoint, regular hand washing has a very positive effect.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, published online November 3, 2008