flu virus survives on currency for 2 weeks

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Swiss scientists take note of bank flu risk: report

Wed Jan 16, 4:22 PM ET

GENEVA (AFP) - Forget retail therapy for some relief from that winter

cold -- a study by Swiss scientists revealed on Wednesday that the flu

virus can nestle and survive on banknotes for more than two weeks.

Scientists from Geneva's University Hospital were asked by a Swiss

bank to carry out the study amid worries that a flu pandemic could be

prolonged thanks to the millions of bank notes in circulation, Le

Temps newspaper reported.

Between 20 and 100 million banknotes change hands in Switzerland alone

each day, it said.

The researchers left small samples of the flu virus on used banknotes

which were then left at room temperature. Although the virus only

survived in most cases for a few hours, certain highly concentrated

samples proved resistant for several days.

In the worst case, if the virus was mixed with human mucus on the

banknote, it could survive for two and a half weeks, Le Temps said.

" This unexpected resilience of the virus suggests that this sort of

inert, non-biological support should not be overlooked in pandemic

planning, " chief researcher Yves told the paper.

The team will now do further research to see how much of a factor

banknotes might be in flu transmission, though stressed that

the main risks remain airborne transmission and direct human contact.

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