For most of us, our festival wristbands are a badge of honour… a symbol of the fun and frolics we had.
Some of us even kept our Oxegen wristbands on all summer long, much to our parents’ dismay.
We ignored their “would you take that dirty thing off” pleas, but it turns out they may have been right.
A study has shown that festival wristbands harbour a ridiculous amount of bacteria and not the good kind.
This stuff can cause food poisoning and boils if ingested and is 20 times more prevalent on festival wristbands than clothes, according to the study.
Dr. Alison Cottell, a microbiologist from the University of Surrey, explained: “Staphylococci are usually harmless although they can cause boils and infections of cuts and grazes, and can also cause a form of acute food poisoning if they are ingested.”
She warned that anyone in a hands-on job should refrain from wearing the bands where possible.
She added: “It would be advisable not to wear them if working in industries such as healthcare or food preparation, where there is a risk that the bacteria may spread to other people.”
From now on, we’ll be keeping ours in a ziplock. In a tupperware container. In an indestructible box.
