The air and surfaces around hospital toilets were more likely to test positive for viruses and bacteria than areas around office building toilets, proving that, in healthcare settings, toilets are a still a source of viral contamination.
In a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control, researchers tested surfaces and air around five toilets in the nephrology ward of a hospital and two in an office building for norovirus, enterovirus, rhinovirus, human rotovirus and Torque teno virus.
The majority of surface and air tests (82 percent and 85 percent, respectively) tested positive in the hospital setting, while just 71 percent of office building surfaces and 75 percent of air samples tested positive in the office building, they found.
The most-oft contaminated surfaces were door handles (66 percent), flushing buttons (62 percent) and toilet seats (59 percent).
"The data collected in our study confirm that toilets are an important source of viral contamination, mainly in healthcare settings, where disinfection can have a crucial role in preventing virus spread," the study authors concluded.
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