[The Daily Mail] Library copies of 50 Shades of Grey test positive for herpes.

[Waflicka]

Late fees could be the least of your worries next time you borrow a book from the local library.
A Belgian professor borrowed the most popular books from a library in Antwerp and tested them for bacteria, microbes and other substances.
He discovered traces of cocaine across all of most borrowed books, with the copy of erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey even testing positive for the herpes virus.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...#ixzz2l8EEG6RK

When pursuing secondhand book stores (which I imagine would produce similar results under testing), I never give a second thought for 'germs' -- much less for cocaine being present in the books that I'm considering! I'd consider it concerning that Tytgat states the amount of cocaine present is 'significant enough to make them test positive for the drug'.

I want to emphasise that Tytgat states that you cannot catch herpes from reading a book with trace levels of the virus, and nor can you get high from reading a book with trace levels of cocaine. I simply thought that this was an interesting article to share! What do these people do with their books? How often could I have tested positive for cocaine after visiting a used bookstore or a library?

They're rhetorical questions, really -- I'm not worried about either event. I simply thought that a reading forum would be interested in this article.

[meeera]

I note that the headline doesn't say that the HSV found was type I, which most commonly causes cold sores on the mouth - an infection found in over half the popuation. Nor does the piece mention how many other books carried miniscule traces of HSV. Nor does it mention where this work was published - I can't find anything on Pubmed.

You should see what can be cultured from your kitchen sink...

[elcreative]

With an occasional difficult to get book, I have found that a 30 second - 1 minute microwaving to be very useful at destroying "stray" odours and it would also help kill any odd wildlife - just be careful to not melt the glue...

[BadBilly]

Originally Posted by elcreative

With an occasional difficult to get book, I have found that a 30 second - 1 minute microwaving to be very useful at destroying "stray" odours and it would also help kill any odd wildlife - just be careful to not melt the glue...

Don't many library use anti-theft tags that contain metal? Could this not cause arcing and a fire?

It's a legitimate concern, though. There have been documented cases of bedbugs in library books here. Another reason I prefer to borrow e-books.

[Waflicka]

Originally Posted by elcreative

With an occasional difficult to get book, I have found that a 30 second - 1 minute microwaving to be very useful at destroying "stray" odours and it would also help kill any odd wildlife - just be careful to not melt the glue...

You microwave your books?

[Sweetpea]

Reading this, I'm glad I don't go to the library anymore!

(which isn't the reason I don't go, the main reason is simply because they don't have the books I want...)

[Istvan diVega]

Nothing at all out of the ordinary about those results I would have thought. We're all teeming with viruses and bacteria and a very significant proportion of most populations use drugs, so of course it'll all be found on anything and everything we handle. I'd have been astounded if they'd found nothing.

[soulfuldog]

Originally Posted by meeera

I note that the headline doesn't say that the HSV found was type I, which most commonly causes cold sores on the mouth - an infection found in over half the popuation. Nor does the piece mention how many other books carried miniscule traces of HSV. Nor does it mention where this work was published - I can't find anything on Pubmed.

You should see what can be cultured from your kitchen sink...

Originally Posted by Istvan diVega

Nothing at all out of the ordinary about those results I would have thought. We're all teeming with viruses and bacteria and a very significant proportion of most populations use drugs, so of course it'll all be found on anything and everything we handle. I'd have been astounded if they'd found nothing.

Spot on. This article is from the Daily Mail in the UK, which means it has take a tiny grain of truth, linked it to something popular and blown it up into a big scare story - which in the end is pretty much nonsense. If they could have, they'd have linked second hand books to causing cancer..... they've done it with everything else then can think of.

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by Istvan diVega

Nothing at all out of the ordinary about those results I would have thought. We're all teeming with viruses and bacteria and a very significant proportion of most populations use drugs, so of course it'll all be found on anything and everything we handle. I'd have been astounded if they'd found nothing.

Absolutely. http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...rican-currency

[Anthem]

NO wonder I feel so strange after licking my library books!

[ProfCrash]

HEck, you should see the reports about what is on your money. And everyone really should be in the habit of putting down the toilet cover before they flush....

I would say that this is a great reason to buy ebooks.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Waflicka

You microwave your books?

Never heard of someone devouring books?

Sounds fairly logical to me. I wouldn't eat them raw either.

[Cyberman tM]

Originally Posted by meeera

I note that the headline doesn't say that the HSV found was type I, which most commonly causes cold sores on the mouth - an infection found in over half the popuation.

I always knew the habit of licking your finger when turning pages is horrible. More proof for that!

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Istvan diVega

Nothing at all out of the ordinary about those results I would have thought. We're all teeming with viruses and bacteria and a very significant proportion of most populations use drugs, so of course it'll all be found on anything and everything we handle. I'd have been astounded if they'd found nothing.

I agree. Chances are a good percentage of our paper money has traces of cocaine or other such substances on it for example. Either the drug dealers use it to buy their shipments or the user on the street transfers it when they buy their next fix. For that matter since our DNA is even transferred via oils on the fingers (i.e. fingerprints) there is probably a lot of human DNA on just about everything made of paper books and money included.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Never heard of someone devouring books?

Sounds fairly logical to me. I wouldn't eat them raw either.

Reminds me of a joke I heard once that was told by a nun who was a comedian. She said that Mother superior somehow got the VCR and the Microwave cross connected so that one evening they had "War and Peace" in 5 minutes.