Newest disease-spreading fear: Handcuffs

MONTREAL, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- A Canadian company warned a national police conference in Montreal that dirty handcuffs can transmit herpes, HIV, influenza and hepatitis B.

Among the exhibitors at the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police this week was the Cuff Cleaner company, based in Edmonton, Alberta, The Gazette newspaper reported.

The company markets a device and chemicals that disinfect handcuffs in ways they claim manual cleaning can't accomplish.

"If you go around here and ask any police officer how often they clean their cuffs, they'll probably say never," said company spokesman Kevin Berg.

The company claims in random checks of police and corrections officials handcuffs, they found viruses and bacteria along with dried blood and skin particles in the hinges.

The company Web site says that's not only dangerous for the next person to be cuffed but for the officers.

The cleaning device creates ultra-high frequency sound waves, which are passed through a cleaning solution in a process that takes 10 minutes, the site said.