Germiest Jobs 1.  Teacher 2.  Accountant 3.  Banker 4.  Radio DJ 5.  Doctor 6.  TV Producer 7.  Consultant 8.  Publicist 9.  Lawyer

"Germs in the Workplace" researchers led by the University of Arizona's Dr. Charles Gerba set out to compare whether someprofessions are truly "germier" than others. According to the researchers, the bacteria levels in accountants' offices were nearly seven times higher than in lawyers' offices.

"College students may want to reconsider their majors based on these results," joked Dr. Gerba. "TV producers, consultants, and lawyers ranked on the low end of the germ spectrum." 

The study, which was funded by Clorox Company, found that the phones, desks and keyboards regularly used by teachers, accountants and bankers harbored nearly two to 20 times more bacteria per square inch than other professions. Phones ranked as the number one home for office germs, followed by desks, keyboards and computer mice. 

For the testing, samples were collected in fall 2005 from private offices and cubicles in office buildings located in Tucson, AZ and Washington, DC. A total of 616 surfaces were tested and analyzed at the University of Arizona laboratories.

As people spend more time at their desks, germs find plenty to snack on. According to a recent American Dietician Association survey, 57 percent of workers snack at their desks at least once a day.  More than 75 percent of workers "only occasionally" clean their desks before eating; 20 percent never do, the survey found. 

"Desks are really bacteria cafeterias," said Dr. Gerba. "They're breakfast buffets, lunch tables and snack bars, as we spend more and more
hours at the office." 

Dr. Gerba recommends frequent hand-washing and using disinfecting wipes daily on surfaces in your cubicle or office to kill illness-causing germs.