Warning after scientists find dangerous bacteria on self-check-outs

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Health chiefs are warning festive shoppers to wash their hands regularly after a study found both faeces and vomit-inducing bugs - on self-service check-out screens. “While both exist naturally in faeces and intestines, given the right environment, they are able to cause quite severe diseases in humans, so it’s vital that we wash our hands before and after eating when working at the computer.” Dr Roberts said it was vital for shoppers to minimise the effects of this bacteria by regularly washing their hands, particularly after going to the bathroom. He said: “It’s vital to try to minimise their effects in terms of infection prevention and control, so when we touch our mouths or go to the toilet and don’t wash our hands, we’ve likely got bacteria from these places on our hands which can then transfer to other things – and subsequently to other people. “If those individuals are more susceptible to infection than you are, there may be a problem.” Champs Public Health Collaborative, a Merseyside based public health partnership, has also asked shoppers to be extra vigilant and to keep washing their hands regularly.