Next time you catch a flight, you might want to be careful what it is you touch with your hands - or any other part of your bdy.

It turns out that aeroplanes are a hotbed of germs, just hanging around waiting to leap on unsuspecting travellers.

And some instances of fecal matter have turned up on seats and blankets and even dining trays, showing the toilets aren't even the most disgusting part.

Research has been published showing that the instances of germs are high, with your luggage being exposed to 80 million different types of bacteria before you even get to your destination.

The study was conducted by a hand sanitiser company who also interviewed anonymous airline employees - and found out some pretty grim facts, according to the Daily Mail.

"Cleaners don't have time to thoroughly clean planes between journeys, as they are under pressure constantly to provide a quick turn-around," one admitted, meaning that seatbelts and tray tables are probably areas you want to clean.

Oh, and, don't take your shoes off, because as well as old viruses, influenza, MRSA and E. coli there are also risks of listeria.

On average, four baggage handlers, two taxi drivers, a hotel porter and one airline staff member typically handle one piece of luggage.

Consider that the average person has more than 10 million bacteria on their hands, which is even more than the mere 33,000 found on public surfaces.