Reply #24: As a microbiologist.... [View All]

I feel it fair to warn you that mouths are full of bacteria but so are hands. Hands tend to pick up and carry Staphylococcus aureus (the bad strain being MRSA), while "normal" mouths aren't that bad. Of course, there IS the virus issue, which is a whole different ball game. Both, when it comes right down to it, can be pretty gross.

Best course of action - always wash your hands soon after going out anywhere in public.

http://www.henrythehand.com/ - this is a great website for everyone. Has lots of good information about hands and how they carry stuff. Also there is good information for parents and their kids. There are downloadable posters also.

http://www.henrythehand.com/pages/content/t_zone.html - most important page on the site!