EUGENE, Oregon – Researchers say what we leave behind on our smartphones amounts to a personal “bacteria blueprint” or a fingerprint that can tell us a lot about our health.
Researchers from the University of Oregon found that 82 percent of the most common bacteria, typically found on our hands, are also on our smartphones.
They say this means to some extent your phone is a reflection of you and the trillions of micro-organisms on your body.
This could have important implications for the way researchers study health issues.
Researchers say using your phone could become a “noninvasive” way to look at how bacteria is passed and how long it stays in place and to monitor your health overall, giving you almost a snapshot of what bacteria you have around you.
Interestingly enough, the results in the study were stronger among women than men, though there is no clear reason why.
