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Sneezing and Germs
"Respiratory viruses cause sneezing and coughing...Nasal secretions [from sneezing] can travel at a velocity of over 20 meters per second and a distance greater than three meters (about 10 feet) to contaminate surrounding fomites [or surfaces]."
- "Significance of Fomites in the Spread of Respiratory and Enteric Viral Disease"
by Stephanie A. Boone and Charles P. Gerba, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
Kitchen sponge microbes. Kitchen sponges can accumulate food and microbes when used for long periods of time and are not thoroughly cleaned. The moisture and food particles in a dirty sponge make it a perfect environment for microorganisms to grow (such as bacteria and fungi). Their waste products give the sponge a distinctive smell. Features shown in this photomicrograph are: sponge surface (green); bacteria (rod-shaped - light purple and blue colors); filamentous fungi (thin and thick filaments - pink and dark purple colors); yeast fungi (round spheres - yellow color).
Magnification: x580
Copyright Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc.
This image is the property of Dennis Kunkel and Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc. The image is copyrighted and any reproduction without direct approval is expressly prohibited.
For permission to license and use this image, please contact Dennis Kunkel:
Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc.
P.O. Box 2008
Kailua, HI 96734
Phone: 808-263-0583
Email: kunkel@denniskunkel.com
www.denniskunkel.com
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