It's time to consider money laundering

WRITTEN BY: , Sun Media 2003-04-12 12:00:00 AM

Should I fly home or is it safer to come by car?" This Florida patient telephoned me not because she was worried about the plane crashing. Rather, she was concerned about the risk of developing SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). Another patient, arriving at my office following a subway ride, immediately asked if she could wash her hands. Today, with more and more people wearing face masks, let's not forget one of the most important ways to decrease the risk of infection. For instance, have you ever wondered about being contaminated from "filthy lucre"?

Dr. Peter Ender and colleagues at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio, reported a unique experiment to the American Society of Microbiology. They swapped new dollar bills for old ones with students at a high school sporting event and grocery store checkout lanes. They then examined the dollar bills under a microscope to see if they were grungy or clean.

They found that mother's warning was right on, "Don't put it in your mouth, you don't know where it's been." The greenbacks not only looked grungy but were also crawling with bacteria.


Of the dollar bills collected, 7% were infected with serious bacteria such as staphylococcus and fecal germs that can cause food poisoning. Eighty-six per cent harboured more mundane bugs and only 7% were free of bacterial contamination.

There was no direct evidence that people had contracted disease from handling the grungy money. But it's reasonable to assume that those working in banks and fast-food outlets are at greater risk than others less exposed to large amounts of greenbacks. And if you're elderly and have a weaker immune system the greater the risk that these germs can cause illness.

So far, the best evidence suggests that SARS is spread by respiratory droplets and close personal contact. However, researchers continue to remind us of the importance of clean hands to fight infection.

Dr. Ender suggested the time has come to consider money laundering. No, not the type used by the Mafia, but a method used in Japan a society preoccupied with cleanliness. In Japan consumers can opt to obtain money from clean ATMs. These machines dispense yen that have been heated to 200C (392F) which is hot enough to kill bacteria, but not to burn the money.

Thirty years ago, The American Medical Association reported that 13% of coins and 42% of bills were contaminated by staphylococcus and fecal germs. It's interesting that no one seemed to listen, particularly when billions of dollars change hands every day.

Another U.S. study showed that 90% of the money in large cities such as New York, San Francisco and Miami contained small traces of cocaine!

Thousands of people are now wearing face masks. No doubt it's a wise idea for those working in risky locations. However, I'd be willing to bet there are thousands of others who fail to wash their hands. After all, past experiments show that even doctors leave much to be desired when supposedly following hygienic practices.

Dr. Brobson Lutz, director of the New Orleans health department, carried out a unique investigation. He stationed student spies in washrooms during a meeting of infectious disease specialists. One would assume that these doctors would be super clean. But only 69% washed their hands after using the facilities!

Unfortunately, too many people are lax in hygiene. We know that conscientious hand washing is the single most important way to prevent the spread of germs. But consider the number of times you've shaken hands with a friend who has just sneezed or blown his nose. If so, you've shaken very contaminated hands. The wrong thing to do at any time, particularly now.

Hopefully, the SARS problem will soon pass. But in the meantime let's all practice "hand health". And remember that if a million bacteria can fit on the point of a needle, it boggles the mind on how many can adhere to paper money. And why not follow another Japanese custom, forget.

More on CHealth