They are invisible and everywhere. Everything you touch and everything you eat carries them They are even inside of you - millions of them. Bacteria are always around us, without them we would die. We need bacteria to live but on the other hand they can kill us, too. This depends on where they are in our body. Our guts for example need E.coli to help digest food. When E.coli get in your bloodstream, you have a problem. As you read through this list, remember that sometimes a little bit of dirt might actually be good for you.

If we have a healthy and strong immune system we shouldn’t panic. These germs can challenge our immune system and make it even stronger. However, if you are sick already, have children under 2 years or visit persons older than 65, washing your hands regularly may prevent you and others from getting seriously sick.

8 public hotspots for Germs:

Swimming pools - chlorine doesn’t kill all germs

Little kids don’t make a habit of washing off after using the toilet. So in a water park with 1,000 kids, the pool can have 10 of feces floating around, says Michele Hlavsa, RN chief of the american Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Healthy Swimming Program. The chlorine doesn’t kill all germs. The bacteria, E. coli was found in more than half of the tested pools.

What can you do? Avoid busy swimming pools, do not swallow any water from the swimming pool.

Restaurant menus

How many people go to your favourite restaurant? Image how many people touched the menu. And how often do they get wiped?  In fact, menus have 100 times more bacteria than a toilet seat says Charles Gerba, PhD, a microbiologist with the University of Arizona.

What can you do? Wash your hands after you order and do not place your silverware on top of the menu.

Lemon slices on your glass - garnish with germs

Researches found nearly 70% of the lemons they tested had disease-causing microbes.

What can you do? Take your drink lemon free.

Soap dispenser and door handles are breeding ground for bacteria

Any thing someone touches after using the bathroom can be filled with bacteria. Unfortunately, a study revealed that only 31% of men and 65% of women do wash after using the restroom.

What can you do? Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds or carry hand sanitizer.

Shopping with germs

A shopping cart handle can easily be covered with 11 million microorganisms (including ones from raw meat)

What can you do? Use antibacterial wipes to clean your shopping cart handle.

Buttons everyone touches: Elevator buttons, TV remote in a hotel, ATM buttons

And usually nobody cleanse these buttons...

What can you do? Have sanitizer on hand, use a pen to press the buttons.

Escalator Rails

Every mall in Qatar has them, many people use them: escalators are a common alternative to elevators. Just as elevator buttons, the handrails of escalators are packed with germs.

What can you do? Steer clear of the handrails.

Dirty money

The flu virus can live on a rial bill for 17 days! Researchers at the Wright Patterson Medical Center in Ohio actually found that a majority of paper bills have enough bacteria to give someone with a compromised immune system (HIV or cancer) some serious problems.

What can you do? Wash your hands or use sanitizer after you touched money.