Elevator buttons hotbed of germs

WASHINGTON — A typical elevator button could be thriving with harmful germs, viruses and bacteria, according to a press release.

According to researchers, though toilet seats are considered filthy because they are crawling with millions of disease-causing germs, the innocuous elevator button touched by many people every day harbors nearly 40 times more bacteria.

Researchers from the University of Arizona carried out a study on behalf of Mircoban Europe, which manufactures antibacterial protection products, the release noted.

The investigators found only eight "colony forming units" on every square centimeter of the public toilet seat; however, an alarming 313 units of bacteria were found on an equivalent surface area of the elevator button, the release stated.

Click here to read the complete release.