( CNN ) -- If you thought dirty money was only found in offshore bank accounts , check your wallet instead . But you may want to wash your hands afterward . Almost 60 % of Europeans believe cash is the dirtiest item they come into contact with , ahead of escalator handrails , buttons on payment terminals and library books , according to a survey of 1,000 people released on March 25 by Mastercard . A further 83 % of the respondents , taken from 15 countries across Europe , believe cash carries a lot of bacteria . And they are right . Independent tests on European money conducted by a team of scientists at Oxford University in December 2012 , revealed that the average banknote contains 26,000 bacteria , enough germs to make you feel nauseous , and possibly even spread disease . `` Europeans ' perceptions of dirty cash are not without reason , '' Ian Thompson , the professor from Oxford University who tested the cash , said in a news release . `` The bank notes we tested harbored an average of 26,000 bacteria , which , for a number of pathogenic organisms , is sufficient for passing on infection . '' Even the newest , and therefore cleanest , notes tested contained 2,400 bacteria , with Swiss Francs and Danish Krone the dirtiest money of all . `` ( The bacteria ) comes from multiple hands , '' Hany Fam from Mastercard told CNN 's Richard Quest . `` These notes have a long time in circulation , they 're handed , hand to hand , from different individuals and it 's inevitable that germs accumulate on them . '' Clearly , a credit card company like MasterCard has its own economic interests in pushing people away from cash . `` No , I 'm not just advocating credit cards : I 'm just saying that consumers are increasingly flocking to other forms of payment -- not only for cleanliness , obviously , but for ease , for convenience , for lots of reasons , '' Mastercard 's Fam said . Still , cash is dirty . A 2002 study published in the Southern Medical Journal also found bacteria-laden banknotes . Over 80 % of cash tested carried germs that could be harmful to people with lowered immunity . Seven percent of bills showed traces of bacteria that can cause serious illness , including Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia , according to the study . Only 7 % of the bills were germ-free . Another study conducted in 2008 at Switzerland 's University Hospitals of Geneva found that some flu virus cells could last for up to 17 days on Swiss banknotes , according to SmartMoney.com . So what to do ? To prevent infection , scientists suggest basic hygiene : Keep your hands away from your eyes , nose and mouth , and wash your hands often . But that wo n't necessarily prevent illicit banknote contamination . Last year three employees at a Michigan Circle K store became ill after handling money that had been contaminated with methamphetamine residue , according to a local news website , Ann Arbor.com . Cocaine is also a common contaminate in the U.S. A 2009 study conducted by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth found up to 90 % of paper money circulating in America contained traces of cocaine .
Almost 90 % of people believe cash is the dirtiest thing they touch . An Oxford University study found an average of 100 bacteria on bank notes . Last year , employees of a U.S. store were hospitalized after handling potentially tainted cash . Health professionals advise basic hygiene - wash hands and avoid eye , nose and mouth contact after touching cash .