Reusable Grocery Bags a Hotbed of Bacteria

Reusable grocery bags may be safer for the environment, but what about the humans who use them? A recent outbreak of the norovirus has been traced back to one of the handy little bags, and scientists are warning consumers about the dangers associated with the cloth totes.

They are great for packing around snacks, books and groceries, and are relatively inexpensive, which makes them desirable little goodies. And, heck, they are keeping those pesky plastic bags out of the landfills so why wouldn't everybody use them?

Here's why. The bags are made of cloth. Airborne viruses are deposited on the fibers each time the bag is taken out to the store, the park, or school. Essentially, the sacks are exposed to a multitude of germs with no defense system. The bag is emptied and then sits on a hook or in the trunk of a car with all those little bacteria sitting in the cloth fibers and multiplying.

Nine girls on one Oregon soccer team learned a lesson about the bags the hard way after they came down with the nasty norovirus. It turns out, one young lady had the virus and was sick in the bathroom, where the bag was stored. The virus spread throughout the room and found a cozy home in the bag. The bag was used the following day as a tote for the team's snacks. Although the ill young lady left, her virus stayed behind. Two weeks after the incident, scientists tested the bag, and it was still positive for the virus.

Researchers at Loma Linda University and the University of Arizona conducted a study back in 2010 and discovered the cloth bags were laden with bacteria. In fact, 12 percent of the bags contained the very dangerous, and often deadly, E. Coli virus. It is not necessary to toss out your reusable grocery bags, but it is imperative you wash them. This can help prevent the spread of nasty viruses and keep the plastic bags out of the landfills.

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