Where is the Dirtiest Place on an Airplane

This just in - airplanes are disgusting, disease-ridden sesspools ready to infect you and everyone you love at a moment's notice. Have a great trip! Hey guys Tara here for Dnews - and if you're gonna be doing some summer traveling soon - then it's worth reminding yourself how gross airplanes actually are. A new study from Auburn University finds that microbes can live up to 8 days inside an airplane, just long enough to infect you and ruin your entire vacation. A team of researchers sterilized 6 different surfaces on the inside of an airplane - and then purposefully infected them with a host of microbes, ranging from E coli to MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant staph infection that's estimated to occur in around 1-2% of US citizens. Their goal was to see how long these microbes could survive in an airplane cabin, where they're most likely to proliferate, and what the chances are of them actually infecting someone. Turns out - there are a few different places bacteria love to thrive - and the worst one is the airplane seat pocket. MRSA was especially attracted to this area, surviving up to 168 hours - or around 8 days. E. coli, on the other hand, tends to thrive in the rubber armrest, and was able to survive up to 4 days there. The 4 other germiest areas of the cabin were leather seats, plastic window shades, plastic tray tables, and toilet handles. Despite what you might think, though - the dirtiest places aren't always the most likely to transmit infections. The researchers in this study found that the most porous surfaces - like the rubber arm rests - do harbor the longest-living bacteria, but also have a lower risk of infection because the microbes tend to bury themselves deep into the pores of the material. On the flipside, non-porous surfaces - like the toilet handle - hold fewer microbes with shorter lifespans, but they're way more likely to infect you than a place like the seat pocket. Other studies on airplane germs have come up with some interesting conclusions. A 2007 study found that 60% of airplane tray tables, tested positive for MRSA. Other experts caution against staying in aisle seats - since they come into contact with more people, and are thus more likely to transmit infectious microbes. Obviously keeping yourself hydrated is important too, since the low humidity on board can lower our natural defense system. But the overwhelming consensus, across all studies, is to avoid the airplane restrooms at all costs. You may remember a while back, there were several cases of fecal bacteria discovered in the water supply of airplanes. As a result, the EPA passed the Aircraft Drinking Water Rule which ensures safe and reliable drinking water for passengers and crew. But germs like E Coli can still survive in airplane sinks, as long as people who are infected with it, are washing their hands. And you know that tiny airplane soap isn't gonna get rid of that stuff. Now obviously, the ideal solution would be for airlines to adopt the same sanitation strategies as places like hospitals, which use peroxide vapors and UV light to disinfect. But until that happens - if you're really concerned about getting sick - your best option is to avoid the bathroom altogether. And if you MUST use it - wash your hands thoroughly, and then douse yourself in hand sanitizer afterwards. Maybe not your whole body, but at least your hands. Hopefully this hasn't scared you out of traveling this holiday weekend - but to be honest, I kind of hope it has. I'm gonna be traveling myself, and I wouldn't hate having an empty seat next to me. You know, for hygiene purposes. Anyway, if you ARE gonna be traveling - and you're looking for something to fill your time, look no further than Audible.com. Audible is the leading provider of downloadable digital audiobooks and spoken word entertainment. They've got over 100,000 titles to choose from, in every genre you like. Just download them to your iPod or MP3 player, load em up, and you're good to go! If you're looking for recommendations, I suggest checking out Daily Rituals: How Artists Work. It gives a peek into the everyday - and often strange - habits of some of your creative minds. Head over to audiblepodcast.com/dnews, and we will hook you up with a FREE audiobook download of your choice just for signing up. Again that is audiblepodcast.com/dnews - to get your free audiobook, and remember, every sign-up helps support Dnews. As always if you guys have questions, comments, newfound phobias of airplane cabins - feel free to leave them in the comments below. Otherwise, thanks for watching!