Thu, 15 Oct 2009 7:33p.m.
If you eat at your desk, be prepared to lose your appetite.
It turns out a typical office work station is home to 400 times as much bacteria as the average toilet seat.
It is global handwashing day, and this charming piece of information is part of a range of disturbing findings aimed at improving hygiene practices around the world.
And it's not just the workplace in the micro-organism firing line.
Germs are everywhere. Everything you touch is covered in the little blighters, and while not all are harmful, many are.
Adam Hodge is a hygiene specialist on a mission. His hand-held bug detector gives an instant reading of micro-organisms - viruses and bacteria - on any surface.
A reading of under 300 means the surface is clean, and over 300 is dirty. The bigger the number, the more germs.
A high reading indicates the presence of a massive concentration of bugs.
Salmonella, the flu and norovirus are just some of the serious infections that can be picked up by touch alone.
But aren't germs just part and parcel of the world we live in?
"Your bodies have to a certain extent become immune to them," says hygiene professional Jim Brand, "but you have to be aware that they are there. They're lurking there, the germs and the nasties. They are there and what we must do is take precautions to make sure that we do not pass germs on to someone else."
Mr Brand's message is simple - wash and dry your hands thoroughly, and regularly sanitise.
His message to women - keep your desks clear and cleaned, as they're typically dirtier than men's. And don't forget to sanitise your handbags - they're a hotbed of infection.
And to men, wash your hands after every visit to the toilet. Research shows at least 20 percent don't. And don't forget to sterilise your wallet.