The cash and cards YOU touch every day is crawling with germs including lethal superbugs, study reveals

THREE in four bank notes are contaminated with bugs that can cause meningitis, sepsis, toxic shock syndrome, miscarriage and food poisoning, an alarming study found.

The findings comes after US loan firm LendEDU tested how dirty our money and cards actually are – and it turns out the answer is filthy.

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Some credit cards had a germ score as high as 1,206 when restaurant surfaces should have a score of ten or less to be considered ‘sanitary’[/caption]

They used a scientific device which tests for bacteria before giving everyday items such as cash, debit cards and door handles a “germ score” – the higher the number the dirtier it is.

Some credit cards had a germ score as high as 1,206 compared with restaurant surfaces which should have a score of ten or less to be considered “sanitary”.

LendEDU revealed a subway pole on the New York City subway was cleaner than the cash we have in our wallets – which has seen some experts call for a cash ban.

SWITCH TO DIGITAL PAYMENTS

Researcher Bart Wolbers of Nature Builds Health said: “Switch to digital payments as much as possible.”

Boffins say moving to a cashless society would be best for the nation’s health.

In a separate study commissioned by price comparison website money.co.uk scientists examined three of each denomination of note and coin in circulation in the UK.

They found 28 of the 36 – or 78 per cent – were coated with a variety of 19 different bacteria.

Two are antibiotic resistant superbugs named by the World Health Organisation as a major threat.

Another is found in poo – indicating people are not washing their hands after going to the toilet.

Some 13.1billion cash payments were made in the UK in 2017, accounting for 22 per cent of transactions.

But cards seem to be just as bad so Apple and Google Pay may be a safer option.

Mastercard along with the University of Oxford researchers concluded a typical bank note contained 26,000 types including E.Coli – with a coin containing more germs than a toilet seat.

Keeping cash clean is quite tricky but experts have recommended wiping cards to ensure they are not littered with bacteria.

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Mastercard along with the University of Oxford researchers concluded a typical bank note contained 26,000 types including E.Coli – with a coin containing more germs than a toilet seat[/caption]

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