The Metro (opens in new tab) published findings today from an investigation they did on random samplings of U.K. McDonald's touch screens. The article was aptly titled "Poo Found on Every McDonald’s Touchscreen Tested."
According to the paper, they swabbed the new self-order machines in six different England locations—six in London and two in Birmingham. The breadth of different and concerning bacteria on each one worried Senior Lecturer in Microbiology at London Metropolitan University Dr. Paul Matawele, who told the Metro: "We were all surprised how much gut and [fecal] bacteria there was on the touchscreen machines. These cause the kind of infections that people pick up in hospitals."
Among those bacteria was staphylococcus, which has been linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome. Matawele called the bacteria "so contagious." He was also concerned about the listeria, klebsiella, and proteus strains found, each of which contributes to a different serious illness.
When contacted by the paper, a McDonald's rep commented "our self-order screens are cleaned frequently throughout the day. All of our restaurants also provide facilities for customers to wash their hands before eating."
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