WHEN YOU FLY

When it comes to modern air travel, the biggest concern may not be what you carry on, but what you might be carrying off. New research found that infectious bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can live for up to a week on planes that haven’t been sufficiently cleaned. A team of microbiologists exposed actual airplane armrests, toilet flush handles, tray tables, window shades, and seat pockets to six types of bacteria, then stored them in conditions that simulated a pressurized cabin—75 degrees Fahrenheit and 20 percent humidity—to see how long the bacteria could survive. The germs lived longest on the most porous surfaces, such as seat pockets and armrests. For example, MRSA, which causes antibiotic-resistant infections of the skin, lungs, and bloodstream, lasted up to seven days on cloth seat pockets and six days on rubber armrests. “In small nooks, like the ones created by a pore, they are protected from environmental stressors like dehydration, UV, and disinfectants,” Kiril Vaglenov of Auburn University tells CNN​.com. But bacteria on less porous surfaces—like tray tables, toilet handles, and window shades—were far more likely to transfer to human skin.