• Shopping carts can harbor a multitude of germs.shopping cart image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
  
  The next time you visit your local superstore, you may notice sanitizing wipes near the shopping carts. Research suggesting that shopping carts are just as dirty as public toilets have prompted many stores to offer these wipes to customers to clean carts before use. The germs found on shopping carts can lead to illness with symptoms ranging from diarrhea and vomiting to skin infections.
  
  

E.Coli

• Raw ground beef can carry strains of E.Coli.ground beef image by Julianna Olah from Fotolia.com
  
  E.Coli can be found on raw vegetables and meats, such as hamburger. Symptoms of E.Coli can include diarrhea, abdominal pain and nausea. Healthy adults can usually recover from a case of E.Coli within a week, while children, the elderly and unhealthy adults may take longer to heal.
  
  Wrap packages of raw hamburger meat and raw vegetables in plastic bags to avoid leaking and cross-contamination.
  
  

Staphylococcus

• Staphylococcus is carried on the skin.skin image by Robert Kelly from Fotolia.com
  
  All people carry Staphylococcus bacteria on their skin, and these germs can be easily transferred to the handles of shopping carts. Most often, these germs result in minor skin infections, including rash, boils, and blisters.
  
  Staph germs can also cause food poisoning, with symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea.
  
  Staph germs can survive in dry conditions, and cannot be killed through high temperatures or cooking, so they are difficult to remove.
  
  

Salmonella

• Salmonella can be found in raw chicken.chicken lean meat image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
  
  Salmonella is found in feces, as well as eggs and poultry. Cracked and leaking eggs or raw chicken can leave salmonella on shopping carts. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning may include a fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain. The sickness usually lasts for about a week, but usually does not require a physican's care.