Is Your Phone Dirtier Than a Toilet? Microbial Myths 7
Video Notes
Is your cell phone dirtier than a toilet?? We’re adding to our catalog of myths! From Leprosy to heart attacks, Michael Schmidt, Ph.D., debunks some of the wildest microbial urban legends.
Microbial Myths 7
We're back with the 7th edition of Microbial Myths, where we put microbial-related urban legends, superstitions and home remedies to the test! To date, we’ve tackled over 125 myths, from the commonly accepted to completely bizarre. You can view all the Microbial Myths and subscribe to our YouTube for hundreds of hours of microbiology videos.
In this 7th edition, Michael Schmidt, Ph.D., joined host Ashley Hagen, M.S., in the ASM Studio at ASM Microbe 2026, to tackle 25 new microbial myths, making this more than 125 myths covered in this series! In this edition we cover myths, including colonization always precedes disease, cutting mold off your food makes the rest safe to eat, increased microbial diversity in the gut always equals better health and many more!
0:44 Your Phone is Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat.
Verdict:
It depends—pun intended! We are constantly using hands, which are great fomite attractors, to operate cell phones. So, your cell phone is likely more hazardous than the average toilet seat.
2:32 AI-Generated Medical Advice is as Reliable as a Medical Professional.
Verdict:
While "Agentic AI" is expected to assist in workflows by late 2026, experts warn that these tools are not medical devices and often "hallucinate" or provide biased data that lacks clinical validation.
7:17 Leprosy is an Ancient Disease That no Longer Occurs in the U.S.
Verdict:
Data from 2025 and 2026 show that Florida has some of the highest rates of locally acquired Hansen’s disease in the country.
10:20 Microbial Activity in Thawing Permafrost is "Dormant" and Won't Impact Climate Speed.
Verdict:
Studies from early 2026 indicate that warming drives faster microbial metabolism in polar regions, which significantly accelerates carbon release and mobilizes toxins like mercury into the food web.
Microbial Myths 7
Interested in skipping to a particular myth to hear the verdict? Here is a list of timestamps to help you navigate the video:
0:44 Your phone is dirtier than a toilet seat.
2:32 AI-generated medical advice is as reliable as a medical professional.
5:05 Avian Influenza (H5N1) only poses a threat through direct bird-to-human contact.
6:08 Canine Coronavirus, Parvovirus and Influenza D are "animal-only" diseases with no human risk.
7:17 Leprosy is back?
8:34 Colonization always precedes disease.
9:16 Antibiotic resistance always comes with a fitness cost.
10:20 Microbial activity in thawing permafrost is "dormant" and won't impact climate speed.
10:59 All "green" solutions, like natural gas, are microbial-friendly and carbon-neutral.
11:19 Water microbiome monitoring is only necessary for municipal drinking water.
11:48 Increased microbial diversity in the gut always equals better health.
12:37 The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio predicts metabolic disease.
13:22 Dysbiosis is a clearly defined, measurable state.
14:14 Medieval reports of “bleeding bread” were miraculous/Food that turns red or “bleeds” is a supernatural sign.
14:57 Applying moldy bread to wounds is a reliable way to treat infection.
15:54 Cutting mold off your food makes the rest safe to eat.
16:17 A dog’s mouth is cleaner than a humans, and letting animals lick wounds speeds healing.
17:07 Removing a tick fast enough means you won't get sick.
18:40 Mosquitos prefer sweet blood.
20:13 Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are universally beneficial.
20:34 Only “dirty” water breeds malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
21:08 Hot water kills as many microbes as washing hands.
21:54 Urine can disinfect wounds and fight infection.
22:19 Sweeping or vacuuming rodent droppings is a safe way to clean.
22:50 A heart attack is an entirely physiological event that does not involve microbes.
