根據一項最新研究報道，在美國一家大型教學醫院中有超過50％的計算機鍵盤隱藏潛在的致病細菌。

使用標準檢測方法對來自不同醫院區域的25個計算機鍵盤進行了致病微生物污染的檢測。在所有鍵盤中都發現了最常見的致病菌凝固酶陰性葡萄球菌。80％的鍵盤帶有類白喉菌，72%帶有微球菌屬，64%帶有芽胞桿菌屬，36%帶有非發酵的革蘭氏陰性桿菌，12%帶有萬古霉素敏感腸球菌，4%帶有金黃色葡萄球菌，4%帶有甲苯異惡唑青霉素易感鏈球菌。

除此之外，研究人員還檢測了不同消毒劑的效能、以及對鍵盤的裝飾和功能。6種不同的消毒劑被檢測了對隱藏在鍵盤中的甲苯異惡唑青霉素抵抗的鏈球菌、假假單胞菌、萬古霉素敏感腸球菌的作用。所有被檢測的消毒劑在清除和滅活微生物方面都十分有效。即使在300個消毒循環之后，沒有證據顯示消毒劑對鍵盤的使用壽命和功能產生影響。該研究結果發表在2006年5月《感染控制和醫院流行病學》。

Hospital Keyboards May Harbor Bacteria
 
A new study reports that potentially pathogenic bacteria were found on more than 50% of computer keyboards tested at a major U.S. teaching hospital.

Twenty-five computer keyboards from various hospital areas were tested for microbial contamination using standard measures. The most common potential pathogen, coagulase-negative staphylococci, were found on all of the keyboards. Diphtheroids were found on 80% of keyboards, Micrococcus species on 72%, Bacillus species on 64%, nonfermentative Gram-negative rods on 36%, vancomycin-sensitive Enterococcus on 12%, Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA) on 4%, and oxacillin-susceptible S aureus on 4%.

In addition, the researchers determined the efficacy of various disinfectants and their cosmetic and functional effects on the keyboards. Six different disinfectants were tested against oxacillin-resistant ORSA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus species that were inoculated onto study keyboards. All of the disinfectants tested were highly effective in removing or inactivating the test microbes. Even after 300 disinfection cycles, there was no evidence that the disinfectants were having a significant impact on keyboard finish or function. The study was published in the April 2006 issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.