Experts issue terrifying infection warning over garden favourite - it could transmit deadly stomach bug
Replacing a turfed lawn with a neat carpet of manmade fake grass has been one of the biggest home trends of the past decade, partly inspired by the lavish exterior styling of ITV2 reality show Love Island.
However, many people who have swapped their patchy, muddy natural grass for a synthetic alternative aren't aware there is still some vital upkeep.
Although it doesn't need to be mowed, watered or reseeded—after all, the main selling point of fake grass is that it's a hassle-free option—it does need to be regularly cleaned, and thoroughly.
Experts have warned that as temperatures soar, the garden favourite can rapidly become a breeding ground for potentially harmful bacteria.
This is particularly the case for pet owners who allow their cat and dog to urinate and defecate on the plastic surface.
Without thorough cleaning with the correct antibacterial products, these germs can quickly spread—creating an increased risk of food poisoning if as people start BBQing and eating outdoors in the good weather.
In a report commissioned by Decking Superstore, experts reminded Britons that their artificial grass 'doesn't clean itself'.
The pristine fake lawns of the Love Island villa inspired thousands of Britons to invest in fake grass for their gardens
According to previously published research, people with artificial grass have been exposed to E. coli and salmonella, two nasty strains of bacteria which can cause serious food poisoning.
E.coli can trigger bloody diarrhoea as well as a potentially deadly kidney condition called severe haemolytic uraemic syndrome, and according to some researchers an increased risk of certain cancers.
Salmonella can cause severe sickness which can last for up to a week.
The report continued: 'Artificial grass can trap pet urine and faecal bacteria, if not rinsed and sanitised.
'Pet urine doesn't soak into the ground like it would with natural grass - instead it lingers on the surface or underneath, especially if left untreated.
'That build-up can release harmful vapours and bacteria.'
Professor William Schaffner, a US-based infectious disease expert at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told MailOnline there's a hidden 'yuck factor' with fake grass.
He said: 'Poop and urine from pets clearly can make artificial grass be very unpleasant. That is the major issue.'
However, he also acknowledged that natural grass is grounded in soil, 'which is also full of bacteria', so whether your lawn is natural or artificial there are health risks.
Just last week, health officials warned the number of people infected with salmonella soared by almost a fifth in a single year in 2024 to over 10,000 cases.
The figure, released by the UK Health Security Agency, is the highest recorded in a decade with only some 8,000 cases recorded in 2015.
Furthermore, bacteria isn't the only danger linked to artificial grass—some reports have also warned it can contain PFAS.
These chemicals which have been linked to low birth weight, birth defects and cancer.
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The Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Sun
I thought my drink had been spiked on holiday but I'd actually had a STROKE at 23 – I was shocked to find out why
STRAPPED to a stretcher in an ambulance, Alicia Kember desperately tried to make sense of what was happening. On August 7, 2022, the now 26-year-old had woken up in the villa in Portugal where she was staying with a friend, looking forward to another relaxing day on the beach. 6 6 But as she got up to use the loo, Alicia was struck with an intense dizzy sensation - and collapsed on the floor, throwing up and passing out. Alicia, from Surrey, tells Sun Health: 'I think I was drifting in and out of consciousness for around an hour before I remembered, through the fog, that I was wearing my smart watch and could call my friend Chloe on it. 'After finding me lying on the bathroom floor, unable to get up, she immediately called an ambulance.' Chloe's initial assumption was that one of Alicia's drinks the night before had been spiked, and as she was rushed into A&E, Alicia too was trying to find an explanation for this sudden onset of illness. Alicia remembers: 'I thought I must have been spiked the night before when we were out. 'Or, maybe I was experiencing a reaction to some cheap alcohol, or had heatstroke or food poisoning? 'My mind was racing, and I felt scared and confused, as doctors and nurses surrounded me, trying to establish what was wrong.' Doctors also suspected there was a straightforward, holiday-related explanation for her state. She says: 'They thought it was down to drink or drugs, and I was just another young person on holiday who'd partied too hard. 'One asked me, 'Did you take something?' and in trying to answer no, I realised my speech wasn't normal. How to check your pulse, for risk of stroke 'My voice felt weak, and my mouth was shaky as I tried to form words. 'When it became clear my condition wasn't improving, and I couldn't even get out of bed unaided, I was taken for a CT and MRI scan. 'Then, a doctor delivered the shocking diagnosis that I'd suffered a stroke, explaining that the blood flow to a part of my brain had been cut off.' Stroke shock In the UK, over 100,000 people have a stroke or mini-stroke every year. Most people who have strokes are over 65, but one in four strokes happens in younger people, according to the charity Different Strokes ( which supports younger stroke survivors. 'I was immediately transferred to the ICU and hooked up to beeping machines and drips,' says Alicia. 'I still felt incredibly unwell and exhausted, and just couldn't properly process this news. 'Surely strokes were something that happened to the elderly, not a 23-year-old on holiday?' 6 6 Alicia's parents and her boyfriend Josh, now 27, flew to Portugal, where they spent the next month by her hospital bedside. 'The stroke had affected the cerebellum [part of the brain], which is responsible for coordination and balance,' says Alicia. 'As a result, although I wasn't paralysed and could eat and drink, my fine motor skills were very poor, my speech weak, and I was wobbly on my feet.' After a multitude of tests failed to confirm why Alicia had suffered a stroke, Portuguese doctors agreed she could fly home in September 2022. I was trying to process how I'd gone from being on holiday after graduating, planning a move to London for my career in sales, to lying in a hospital bed after a stroke. Alicia Kember She says: 'Getting on the plane was emotional, not just because I was scared I might fall ill in the air, but I was also very worried about what lay ahead in attempting to recover at home. 'I was trying to process how I'd gone from being on holiday after graduating, planning a move to London for my career in sales, to lying in a hospital bed after a stroke. 'When I'd flown out to Portugal, life had felt so good. I was at the beginning of a new, exciting chapter. 'A holiday had turned into a nightmare and I had no idea what I was now facing. 'Pause button on life' For three months, Alicia was cared for by nurses from a local hospital, which had a neuro-rehab unit, along with regular sessions with a physio and a psychotherapist. She says: 'With a lot of effort, I relearned how to walk properly, hold a pen, and climb stairs, all of which had become very challenging as a result of the stroke. 'As the weeks passed, things did improve.' But it was the emotional recovery that was hardest, as Alicia felt 'isolated'. 'I know now that can be common among stroke survivors,' she says. 'Stuck at home while friends were working, socialising and travelling, I felt like a pause button had been pressed on my adult life, just as it had been getting started. 'I'd feel angry and envious, then realise they were doing nothing wrong, it was just hard to be reminded of my past self. 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'One of the quotes said 'I wish you knew how hard it is to watch others carrying on with their lives whilst you're stuck and left behind, trying to pick up the pieces'.' 'That's just how I felt.' Three years on from her stroke, Alicia is now living in London with a friend and still happily with Josh, but has to manage fatigue. She says: 'I am grateful I now have the chance to share what I went through to help other young people feel less alone, and give them hope that recovery - both physical and emotional - is possible.'
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Ludlow parents' baffled by long trips for hospital checks
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BBC News
37 minutes ago
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Rugby personal trainer feels 'unstoppable' after quitting alcohol
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