5 Life-Threatening Infections You Can Get from Using A Porta-Potty
Sometimes theres no other choice, but beware of the port a potty bacteria. (Courtesy Getty)
If the smell of a concert ground porta-potty doesn’t kill you, the pathogens you’ll find inside might—or at least get you super-sick. That’s because bathrooms are hotbeds of bacteria and viruses that occur in infected people’s waste, says Charles Gerba, Ph.D., a microbiologist and professor at University of Arizona.
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For what it’s worth, public restrooms (like the new ones at Coachella) are no better and may even be worse if they’re cleaned infrequently, Gerba adds. Look out for symptoms of these scary conditions and act accordingly to recover as quickly as you can:
1. Norovirus: If this infectious virus gets you, expect symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain, which will crop up as soon as 12 to 48 hours after. Blech.
If you get it: Drink up (water, guys) to rehydrate. Sports drinks can help too. You should be back on your feet within two days. If it lasts any longer, it may be a bacterial infection that requites antibiotics, so see a doctor ASAP.
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2. Salmonella: With this bacteria, we’re talking diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, loss of appetite, fever, and headache that could last between four to seven days. Diarrhea (the last thing you want to deal with in a public restroom) tends to be sign number one, Gerba says.
If you get it: See a doctor pronto for antibiotics to clear you up. If symptoms are super-severe, just head straight to the hospital.
3. Shigellosis: File under bacterial infections you do not want to acquire: This one is literally a pain in the ass (It causes rectal pain!). Common in crowded areas (ahem, concert grounds), this lurks in public bathrooms for up to two days after it’s planted, according to Gerba. Shigellosis is even more serious than the other things you could pick up during a pit stop, with symptoms like sudden cramping, fever, and bloody stool, plus nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, according to Medline Plus. Symptoms can last for days.
If you get it: Hydrate like it’s your job. If your nausea makes swallowing tough, hit up a hospital, where they’ll replenish your fluids via IV. Otherwise, call your doc, who will want to see you for testing, then prescribe some sort of antibiotic to heal you up.
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4. Hepatitis A: Most people are vaccinated to prevent this viral liver disease because it can really mess with your system if you get it. The scariest part is that this condition can be totally asymptomatic 15 to 50 days, at which point you might get a fever. Other symptoms include feeling tired or nauseous, stomach pains, dark urine, and jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), according to the Immunization Action Coalition. Symptoms can last for up to six months.
If you get it: Call your doctor for a blood test if you suspect you’ve got Hepatitis A: Nearly 40 percent of infected people are hospitalized, although there’s no real remedy besides R&R.
5. Influenza: You can pick up this airborne respiratory virus anywhere other people frequent—so porta-potties and public bathrooms totally count, Gerba says. While Olds account for about 90 percent of flu deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control, the condition can still cause body chills, muscle aches, cough, sore throat, fever, and headaches. Once you’re infected, the fever can last up to three or four days, and general exhaustion for up to three weeks. If you’re especially unlucky, this could escalate to bronchitis or pneumonia.
If you get it: Ask your doctor for an antiviral drug to shorten the duration of your symptoms. Then put your feet up, drink a ton, and pop aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen to ease the aches and pains.
How to Stay Safe Without Peeing Yourself
Gerba still uses public bathrooms, and you should too. Just keep his tips in mind:
Beware of the door handle at the bathroom entrance. No one washes their hands on their way into the bathroom, so this tends to be especially filthy.
Use a paper towel to turn off the sink. Because people touch it before lathering up, it’s one of the germiest places in the bathroom. (It’s why those motion-sensor sinks are a total godsend.)
Never plop your bags on the floor. Wetness is like a welcome mat for bacteria. Even if the floor is dry, there are likely to be some kind of pathogens hanging around there.
Look out for shoe soles when you sit. When you walk out of a porta-potty, assume you’re bringing icky stuff from the porta-potty floor back with you. If your hands graze the soles of your shoes when you sit cross-legged back at your campsite or blanket, you could easily contaminate your hands.
Use hand sanitizer post-potty. After you wash your hands properly at the bathroom sink, this will provide extra insurance.
Sanitize your hands before you eat. It’s all too easy to hand-deliver pathogens from your fingers to your mouth via food, so this goes for gum handling, snacks, and meals—assuming you’ve still got an appetite after reading this.
By: Elizabeth Narins
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