Q: What’s the germiest at the gym or spa: the sauna, steam room, or whirlpool?

A: Picture that scene in old horror movies where a mad scientist holds up a bubbling beaker full of some strange toxic brew. Blow up the size of that beaker, and you have a whirlpool—a warm, bubbling cauldron of germs. It’s the worst of the three, by far.

Interestingly, most of the bacteria hang out in the pipes, not the water. But when we turn on the jets, the germs are sprayed into the water. (If you own a hot tub, get the pipes professionally cleaned, and use a bleach disinfectant once a week for the tub. Remember: The hotter the water, the less effective chlorine is at keeping it germ-free.)

Number two on the ick list: steam rooms. Warmth and extreme moisture are ideal for breeding germs. And a sauna is number three on the list because the heat is dry, but any lingering sweat in the room is a moist habitat for germs.

To be safe, don’t park your bare butt on the bench in a steam room or sauna; sit on a towel that’s folded enough times to keep your skin away from the moisture. (Wooden benches are worse than tile ones, by the way, because the cracks in the wood provide a place for germs to settle in and set up shop.) Always wear underwear or a bathing suit, too. And if you have any cuts or open sores, avoid these spa amenities until you’ve healed.

health.com

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One study has found that salmonella and other bacteria can live up to four weeks on dry surfaces and be immediately transferred to food.

The controversial "five-second rule" — the one that allows us to eat dropped food if it's quickly scooped off the floor — is a bunch of baloney, according to Clemson University food scientist Paul Dawson, who stirred up the long-debated issue in this month's National Geographic.

Though previous research has shown we may have up to a minute to rescue certain types of spilled food before it becomes contaminated, Dawson and his students made a strong case for the "zero-second rule." They found that salmonella and other bacteria can live up to four weeks on dry surfaces and be immediately transferred to food.

The zero-tolerance standard, however, conflicts with the findings of two Connecticut College student researchers who sprinkled apple slices and Skittles candies in the college dining hall and snack bar for five, 10, 30 and 60-second intervals. The apple slices picked up bacteria after one minute; nearly five minutes elapsed before the Skittles attracted any. .

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Still, most researchers agree that the critical thing is not time, but location. It's OK to brush off the bagel that fell from the stroller onto the sidewalk and give it to your screaming child, for example, because the pavement is cleaner than the kitchen floor in terms of the types of germs that cause illnesses, said Dr. Harley Rotbart, a professor of microbiology and pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

"The kitchen floor, however, is probably a zero-second zone because the bacteria from uncooked meat and chicken juices are more hazardous than the 'soil' bacteria outside," said Rotbart. The bathroom floor is another zero-second zone because "it's a great potential source of bacteria and shorter-lived viruses that can cause gastrointestinal illness if ingested," said Rotbart, the author of "Germ Proof Your Kids."

100 billion: The number of bacteria in our mouths

100 trillion: The number of bacteria in our gastrointestinal tracts

2.5 billion: The number of bacteria found in one gram of garden soil

7.2 billion: The number of germs in the average kitchen sponge

25,000: The number of germs, per square inch, on an office telephone

49: The number of germs, per square inch, on a toilet seat

SOURCE: "The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu"; "Germ Proof Your Kids"

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An outbreak of E. coli poisoning has expanded to Tennessee, where one more person has been sickened after eating romaine lettuce grown on an Arizona farm.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are 23 confirmed cases of E. coli and seven probable cases connected to the tainted lettuce. That is up from 19 confirmed by CDC earlier this week.

The rest of those sickened live in Michigan, Ohio and New York. Many of them were middle school, high school and college students who ate in school cafeterias. The CDC said there are 10 confirmed cases in Michigan, eight confirmed cases in Ohio, four confirmed cases in New York and one confirmed case in Tennessee. All of those sickened became ill before late April.

The strain of E. coli involved in the outbreak is rare and difficult to diagnose, so there may be more unreported cases, officials have said.

There have been two recalls of romaine lettuce related to the outbreak, both by distributors who bought lettuce from the same Yuma, Ariz., farm. Ohio-based Freshway Foods announced a 23-state recall of romaine lettuce last week, while Vaughn Foods of Moore, Okla., announced a recall Monday.

Vaughn Foods bought its lettuce from California-based Andrew Smith Co., a supply company which shipped the lettuce after purchasing it from the Arizona farm. The Food and Drug Administration, which is investigating the outbreak, has so far declined to give the name of the farm.

Andrew Smith Co. would not say if they supplied romaine lettuce to Freshway Foods. Amy Philpott, a spokeswoman for Andrew Smith Co., said the company did sell the lettuce to an additional distributor in Massachusetts but would not identify that distributor because the lettuce is already past its expiration date.

The FDA said it is still attempting to determine the point in the supply chain where the contamination occurred, since it went through several facilities before it was eaten. As a supplier, Andrew Smith Co. buys bulk romaine lettuce from farms and sells it to distributors. Those distributors, such as Freshway Foods and Vaughn Foods, then sell it to food service outlets or retail customers.

Many of those who became ill were college students in the three states. Middle and high school students in New York were also sickened, including a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause bleeding in the brain or kidneys. Local health authorities in Dutchess County, N.Y., where the students fell ill, said they are all expected to make a full recovery.

The E. coli was discovered by New York health authorities in a bag of Freshway Foods shredded romaine lettuce last week after they had been investigating the outbreak in the schools for several weeks.

Most of the lettuce recalled was sold to food service establishments. The recall does not affect bagged lettuce in the grocery store.

nydailynews.com

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