Chuck E. Cheese's is a popular place for children and their parents, but social website MomLogic.com says it has uncovered bacteria inside the kid party and pizza chain that can lead to several types of illnesses.
MomLogic.com says it decided to test Chuck E. Cheese's after an employee at the website claimed to have gotten ringworm from one of their locations. The website had germ expert Dr. Charles Gerba swab and test three locations of the popular chain in Pasadena, Sun Valley and Burbank.
MomLogic says it swabbed numerous surfaces in the restaurant and arcade including games, play mats, trays, tables and high chairs. Those samples were then sealed and shipped to Dr. Gerba's lab for analysis.
The Yellow Bus Ride at the Pasadena location contained Serratia Rubidaea, a rare cause of respiratory tract infections, wound and blood infections, according to Dr. Gerba.
The website also reports that a table and child’s high chair at the Sun Valley location had enterobacter sakazakii, which can cause necrotizing enterocolitis, bacteremia, and infant meningitis. Although most documented cases involve infants, infections can occur in adults as well.
Klebsiella pneumoniae was found on children’s play mats at the Sun Valley and Burbank locations. Klebiella pneumoniae can cause urinary tract infections, wound and bloodstream infections and pneumonia.
Chuck E. Cheese's spokesperson Brenda Holloway told MomLogic.com, "We clean and sanitize our games every night with an antibacterial sanitizing solution called Sterbac Blue. We try to inspect and maintain during the day as well. We have a large amount of kids who come through here, and with them, a large amount of bacteria. We try to keep up with it."
