Why’s that a problem? As its name suggests, C. difficile, often known as C. diff, isn’t easy to treat—several strains are resistant to antibiotics. An infection with this bug can leave you with watery diarrhea, and in some cases it even progresses to dangerous colon inflammation. Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that nearly half a million people are infected with C. diff per year, and while it’s most notorious for infecting hospital patients, about 35% of cases start elsewhere. MORE: 6 Disgusting Things That Are On Your Body RIGHT NOW! So how does C. diff end up on your porch? “Shoes are contaminated from diverse sources, and we are regularly contaminating our doorsteps by shoes,” says study author M. Jahangir Alam, PhD. Poop from various animals, including birds, is one example of the grossness your shoes lug around. That scat can carry C. diff spores, Alam says. MORE: 7 Lies You’ve Been Told About Your Own Body Once those spores land on a surface, they can live for months. When people accidentally ingest C. diff spores, they run the risk of getting sick. Want to avoid tracking germs into your house—and spending way more time on the toilet than you could possibly want? The solution is simple: Take off your shoes at the door, Alam suggests. For 2,476 more mega-useful health tips, check out The Better Man Project, the brand-new book from the Editor in Chief of Men’s Health. It’s chock full of expert advice to help you shrink your belly, have hotter sex, and live a kick-ass life! The article The Disgusting Disease That’s on the Bottom of Your Shoes originally ran on MensHealth.com.
