Summer is the time for more fun in the sun. Unfortunately, it is also the time for more warm and wet weather, which ultimately means more bacteria, as well. Part of protecting yourself means being aware of places where bacteria are likely to be found.
In the air conditioner
Thanks to the prolonged periods of high heat in summer months, air conditioners are often working day after day to keep up. This often means they collect vast amounts of dust, mold, and pollution in their filtration units. It can inhibit the efficient performance of the unit, but more importantly, it creates health risks for people inhaling the air.
In sunburned skin
Redness and pain are not the only problems that can accompany a sunburn. Sunburned skin is essentially a wound, and it can become infected. Severe burns that lead to rupturing blisters can be a serious entrance point for a bacterial infection.
In your picnic basket
When it comes to summertime foodborne pathogens, many people worry about items like potato salad. While the ingredients can become contaminated from heat during an outdoor event, overall it’s not really a high-risk item for food bacteria. A more common source is actually ground meat.
In the pool
Pools are rather notorious for being bacteria-laden, particularly large public pools. In a 2013 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), several water samples from public pool filters were tested for genetic material such as DNA.
Findings revealed that 58 percent of the samples tested contained E. coli, which is a marker for fecal contamination. This indicates that swimmers introduced contamination to the pool water by not rinsing off before entering or by having a fecal incident in the water.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa was also revealed in 59 percent of samples tested. This nasty little bacteria is responsible for ear infections and skin rashes. Its presence in the water indicates a contamination by swimmers or another environmental source.
In soft-serve ice-cream machines
Bacteria like listeria can be found lurking in poorly cleaned soft-serve ice-cream machines. This nasty bacteria can cause fever and muscle aches, and even worse, possible miscarriage in pregnant women.
Back in April, the popular ice-cream brand Blue Bell had a listeria contamination in its products that led to three deaths.
Source: The Alternative Daily
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