Your Wristwatch May Harbor A Flourishing Microbial Ecosystem
And lo, as we have speculated, so it has come to pass. One of several experiments to take a stab at the issue was a partnership between NBC affiliate WPTV down in Boca Raton, Florida, who – also apparently struggling to fill the hours – went to the good folks at the Department Of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University, and specifically, to Dr. Dieuto Esiobu (Ph.D. and human microbiome researcher) who swabbed 20 or so watches, made from various materials, from things like Fitbits all the way up to, apparently, a Gold Watch Not Otherwise Specified. What did the good doctor find? Well, just as with human skin, there were a wide range of different bacilli present including a couple which are potentially pathogenic, including strains of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The doctor's take? More here.
Well that's a concern.