This study, just published in Infection and Immunity has been getting a lot of press:
Some bacteria ‘live for long periods’ on toys, books and cribs
Germs that cause colds can last outside human body for months: study
Crib toys, day care items can harbor strep bacteria for months
The basic gist of this story is that while Streptococcus bacteria in liquid culture don’t survive very long on surfaces, biofilms of the same organism can persist for long periods. I was sort of fascinated by this because I was amazed that that no one had looked before… it’s quite well known that biofilm formation in most bacteria can enhance survival in a wide variety of situations.
