What many of us have suspected has been verified: our beloved devices that connect us to the rest of the world, are also among the top culprits cited in collecting germs, viruses and bacteria.

That, at least, is the conclusion of a 2009 study dedicated to determining a correlation between cell phones and germs. The study elicited a subsequent on-air pronouncement from a university researcher renowned for his work in tracking the levels of disease-causing bacteria.

In both cases, the conclusion is that the items that we use most in our lives typically spread the most germs -- and among them the cell phone is at the top of the list for harboring bacteria. The news is especially unwelcome in the midst of a swine flu scare.

The findings apparently affirm one UK study released in 2006. It went as far to state that a mobile device carries more germs than a toilet seat or the bottom of a shoe.

 

Some experts speculate that your cell phone is a germ magnet because bacteria multiplies in warm places (such as a pant pocket where you may carry your device). Between the heat generated by cell phones and the germs on your face and hands, they suggest you have the makings of a bacterial breeding ground.

Study Says Healthcare Workers At Risk (But They're Far From Alone!)

The 2009 study that was released by the Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials, showed 94.5 percent of cell phones used by health care workers had evidence of bacterial contamination.

The study ultimately concluded that mobile phones used by health care workers in daily practice may be a source of nosocomial (hospital or healthcare caused) infections in hospitals."

But cell phone's propensity for spreading germs is far from confined to the health care environment, according to Dr. Charles Gerba. Gerba, an environmental microbiologist at the University of Arizona largely confirmed those published findings in November 2009 on the CBS Morning Show.

Gerba, affectionately referred to as "Dr. Germ" in his television appearances, uses a "germ meter" to determine in relative terms how many bacteria are living on a surface.

Conducting more than 7,000 studies, Gerba recently told CBS that the most germs per square inch are on the things touch the most such as cell phones-- which were no. 1 on his list of the dirtiest everyday items (with handbags also near the top).

Gerba once tested 25 mobile phones and found the staph bacteria growing on almost half of them. The staph bug can cause skin
infections and meningitis, among other maladies.

And when he appeared on Good Morning America in 2006, he tested a soundman's phone and determined there were 10-50 million bacteria on his phone (Gerba proclaimed it "the dirtiest phone I had ever tested.").

During his more recent visit with CBS, Gerba determined there were 261 bacteria on the surface of correspondent Kelly Wallace's cell phone. (BlackBerry users might take some solace knowing that one of those smartphones on the street that Gerba tested was deemed virtually germ free.)

General speaking, Gerba says flip phones have more germs because they don't dry out as well as other phones, thus leading to moisture which tends to attract and hold more germs.

Helpful Advice Offered As Concerns "Germinate"

When it comes to warding germs off your cell phones, mobile users can draw on prevalent longstanding suggestions -- and practice a health dose of common sense according to some health experts.

When concerns about cell phones and bacteria surfaced a few years ago with the UK report, Dr. Emily Senay, a medical correspondent for CBS News' The Early Show, advised "the first thing we should do all the time, whenever we've gone to the bathroom or cooked in our kitchen or shaken hands with somebody, is wash our hands. Washing your hands is a great way to reduce all sorts of infections."

Numerous manufacturers and cell phone technicians recommend the use of antibacterial wipes (Some are offered specifically for cell phones such as one offering called Wireless Wipes).

It is recommended by many manufacturers that users wipe the phone down while avoiding the charging port and battery. Other advice regarding keeping your phone germ free is commonly found in the phones' manuals.

And of course, for the most germ-phobic of us, there are even anti-microbial cell phones out in the marketplace to alleviate our paranoia.

In 2005, Motorola introduced its i870, the first phone at the time to feature AgION anti-microbial housing, purported to negate product erosion due to germ contact.

The updated version of the i870, Motorola's i880, along with other phones from the manufacturer, also support the anti-microbial feature.