Yes. “Human influenza viruses can survive and maintain their infectiousness for several days when they are deposited on banknotes,” according to a 2008 study by Yves Thomas and his colleagues at the Central Laboratory for Virology in Geneva, Switzerland.
Scientists spotted different types of flu virus onto Swiss francs and found that they survived from a few hours (naked virus) to more than a week (virus mixed with respiratory mucus).
The results depended on the type and concentration of flu virus.
According to the study, Swiss banknotes are mostly cotton covered by a nonporous resin. Bills from other countries may be composed of different materials, and this could affect viral transmission. “Whether similar results would be obtained with banknotes from other countries and with different characteristics needs to be studied,” the authors wrote.
In an interview with Reuters, Thomas said, “Our studies have convinced us that it is possible to catch flu from banknotes, but the chances are very, very slim and there is no cause for concern among the general population.”
Smart Money had this to say in a recent story:Scientists spotted different types of flu virus onto Swiss francs and found that they survived from a few hours (naked virus) to more than a week (virus mixed with respiratory mucus).
The results depended on the type and concentration of flu virus.
According to the study, Swiss banknotes are mostly cotton covered by a nonporous resin. Bills from other countries may be composed of different materials, and this could affect viral transmission. “Whether similar results would be obtained with banknotes from other countries and with different characteristics needs to be studied,” the authors wrote.
In an interview with Reuters, Thomas said, “Our studies have convinced us that it is possible to catch flu from banknotes, but the chances are very, very slim and there is no cause for concern among the general population.”
To be sure, many kinds of frequently touched surfaces could temporarily harbor the flu virus. Broadly speaking, scientists consider the risk of transmission in this way to be low, particularly if hand-washing and other hygiene measures are practiced, says Dr. Philip Tierno, director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University’s Langone Medical Center and author of “The Secret Life of Germs.”
Three things must happen for a flu virus to be transmitted from one person to another via money. First, a person who is infected with the swine flu must sneeze or cough onto the bill or blow their nose and leave remnants of their mucus on the currency. Next, an uninfected person would need to touch the money while the virus is still present.
Finally, that person would need to put their contaminated hand in their mouth or pick their nose, says Dr. Murray Grossan, an otolaryngologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
The best defense against infection: follow public health guidelines and wash your hands frequently.
Source: “Survival of Influenza Virus on Banknotes” by Yves Thomas, Guido Vogel, Werner Wunderli, Patricia Suter, Mark Witschi, Daniel Koch, Caroline Tapparel and Laurent Kaiser, published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, May 2008.
Three things must happen for a flu virus to be transmitted from one person to another via money. First, a person who is infected with the swine flu must sneeze or cough onto the bill or blow their nose and leave remnants of their mucus on the currency. Next, an uninfected person would need to touch the money while the virus is still present.
Finally, that person would need to put their contaminated hand in their mouth or pick their nose, says Dr. Murray Grossan, an otolaryngologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
The best defense against infection: follow public health guidelines and wash your hands frequently.
Source: “Survival of Influenza Virus on Banknotes” by Yves Thomas, Guido Vogel, Werner Wunderli, Patricia Suter, Mark Witschi, Daniel Koch, Caroline Tapparel and Laurent Kaiser, published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, May 2008.
