Take your shoes off at home, researchers recommend

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Your shoes may be spreading germs around your home and making you sick.

Traces of bacteria were found on the bottom and inside of 97 percent of the shoes tested, according to a study by researchers at the University of Arizona.

The bacterial strains ranging from ones that cause intestine and urinary tract infections, to meningitis, pneumonia, and respiratory issues.

The most common e-coli bacteria found suggests humans come in contact with a lot of fecal matter from public restrooms and animal waste.

Scientists found washing the shoes with detergent helps to kill germs. This process eliminated all the fecal bacteria and reduced the remaining strains of bacteria by roughly 90 percent.