Doorknobs, TV remotes germ hotbeds

Someone in your house have the sniffles? Watch out for the refrigerator door handle. The TV remote, too. A new US study finds that cold sufferers often leave their germs there, where they can live for two days or longer.

Scientists at the University of Virginia, long known for its virology research, tested surfaces in the homes of people with colds and reported the results on Tuesday at the nation's premier conference on infectious diseases.

Doctors do not know how often people catch colds from touching germy surfaces as opposed to, say, shaking a sick person's hand, said Doctor Birgit Winther, an ear, nose and throat specialist who helped conduct the study.