1. Hospitals: It’s where you go to get well. But at least seven per cent of people admitted to hospital will get an infection, including from the antibiotic superbug C. difficile.
2. Schools and daycares: Close quarters, lots of sticky hands and kids’ immature immune systems mean viruses quickly make the rounds. In one study, a virus introduced on a toy into a day care in the morning was found on 80 per cent of kids by 5 p.m. and on 50 per cent of parents by the next morning.
3. The local transit: Or any closed-in, crowded place where people touch their mouths, pick their nose or cough into their hands. And then touch their surroundings
4. Pubic swimming pools: Gastrointestinal illness from public pools are on the rise in the States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The offender? Cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite found in human feces that can live as long as 10 days in chlorinated water.
5. The Saturday night party scene: Or any place people are going to have casual sex. Stats from Toronto Public Health show some sexually transmitted infections, including Chlamydia and syphilis, are on the rise.
6. The Backyard BBQ (on a hot summer’s day): Every year, one in six Torontonians get food poisoning. According to Toronto Public Health, sporadic cases peak in July and August. Blame it on the summer heat, which causes micro-organisms to grow faster in food, and undercooked meat.
