A recent study is giving travelers a new reason to dread airport security.

According to the study from BMC Infectious Disease journal, plastic security trays used at airport checkpoints were found to have respiratory viral surface contamination due to high touch rates.

Scientists from the University of Nottingham in England and the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare conducted the study.

We investigated the presence of respiratory viruses in the passenger environment of a major airport in order to identify risk points and guide measures to minimize transmission, BMC said.

Swabs were taken from different surfaces to test for Influenza A and B viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, rhinovirus, and coronaviruses.

One notable result of the study is that the trays were found to contain viruses that were not found on toilet surfaces. This comes after samples were taken from the upper surface, the toilet bowl lid, the button for flushing, and the door lock. Samples were taken from 14 different toilets.

Our main findings identify that respiratory virus contamination of frequently touched surfaces is not uncommon at airports; and that plastic security screening trays appear commonly contaminated, BMC said.

For more information on this study, click here.