A study performed in the Royal School of Chemistry after conducting a survey in London revealed that many keyboards in London showed the presence of many bacteria and virus, some of which are the E.coli virus, also present was its dangerous form ‘Coliform’ and another bacteria called ‘enterobacteria’. This was puzzling as these virus and bacteria were to be commonly associated with mice and many other varmints which seemed the last creatures you would find on a typical office desk. The main reason for this rodent attack on keyboards is that the office workers tend to drop food items and crumbs in between the keys.
These crumbs are later consumed by the above mentioned rodents who sometimes drop tiny pieces of their feces on the keys. Next morning, any clueless office worker goes about his daily activities without realizing that he picks up tiny bits of feces every time he uses the keyboard. If he forgets to wash before eating then he increases the risk of infection.
The symptoms and body reactions of these bacteria are:
•E-Coli: A sufficient time after one has ingested anything containing E-coli, the bacteria makes its way to the stomach and the small intestine. It then passes into the large intestine and sticks to the walls of the intestine causing inflammation of the walls. This leads to Hemorrhagic Colitis, which is characterized by an onset of severe abdominal pain and muscle cramps followed by diarrhea. These symptoms resolve themselves in a week as the bacteria passes out of your system. In most cases there are no long term affects.
•Coliform Bacteria: This is another bacterium that targets the intestinal tracts of animals and humans. Seven days of contamination later most people begin to feel stomach cramps, followed by gas and a severe appetite loss. If not treated immediately it can lead to fever with temperatures ranging well over 100 degrees F.
•Enterobacterium: This is another type of bacterium that is similar to E-Coli. It is very common but if left untreated it could prove fatal. Unlike the E-Coli, it attacks the Central Nervous System. This can lead to sepsis and other neurological deficits brought on by infections of the central nervous system. It is better if a doctor is consulted immediately.
To avoid being in such difficult, painful and often unpredictable circumstances make sure you maintain your keyboard. You should clean your keyboard and other accessories with Isopropyl once a week. It removes all the regular crumbs and also makes sure that there is no evidence of any oil stains. Alternatively, you can get a dishwasher safe keyboard that are generally used in hospitals. They can be used normally, but you can clean it in a dishwasher. If your requirement is a clean keyboard, then you can open it up and clean it using q-tips and a micro-fiber cloth.
Apart from these, the main thing to do is to eat neatly so that you can live in a sanitary environment.
Bacteria Causes Mice to Attack Your Computer Keyboard
By: Manuel Rivers
