JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- They're the footwear of choice during the summer, but flip flops can be a breeding ground for disease.
Action News asked Terri Ellis, Assitant Professor of Microbiology at the University of North Florida, to test some of our favorites, made of plastic, rubber, leather and trendy styles with bottle openers on the bottom.
Within days, hundreds of bacteria, including staphylococcus on all four - even the bottle opener.
While staph grows naturally on the skin of about 25 percent of people, it can turn deadly if it enters the bloodstream, attacking joints, bones, the lung and heart. According to the National Institute of Health, it kills 19,000 people a year.
"Staph is an opportunistic infection," Ellis explained. "If you have a cut on your finger or your toe, it's going to find a very nice place to live and grow.
That shouldn't keep flip flop lovers from wearing their favorites though. Ellis says not all bacteria are dangerous, but keeping them clean is the only sure way to avoid disease.
