INSpiREzine Germs Gone Viral! | Página 69

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19. In 1676, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek discovered the first microbe, microfungus mucor. Walter Reed discovered the first human virus, yellow fever flavivirus, in 1901.

20. While most germs are associated with unpleasant odours, some are actually sweet-smelling! Freshly cut apples? That would be Alkaligenes faecalis. Butterscotch? Try Streptococcus Viridans. The "smell of rain" is caused by a bacteria called actinomycetes.

21. You are 100x more likely to catch a cold on a plane.

22. Kangaroos barely release any methane. Scientists are therefore trying to harvest the bacteria found in their colons so that they can transfer this "skill" to cows in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

23. The dirtiest key on an ATM pad is the ENTER button. Furthermore, every single bill dispensed contains over 3,000 different types of microbes.

24. Sampling food from the floor comes with a risk, especially if you don't know how clean it is. Logically, if you grab a gummy bear 3 seconds after it hits the floor, it will pick up fewer microbes than if you waited 30 seconds.