A US study says a fistful of germs are handed over whenever dollars change hands.
Microbiologists say bacteria thrive on dollar bills and there is a danger that notes might play a role in the transmission of harmful organisms.
One-dollar bills collected in Ohio were tested for contamination by Dr Peter Ender and his associates at the state's Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Of the 68 notes studied, five had bacteria which commonly cause infections in healthy people and 59 had ones which cause significant infections in hospital patients.
Dr Ender said: "One-dollar bills are widely used and each is exchanged many times. If some are contaminated with bacteria, there is potential to spread these organisms from person to person."
"It is important to note that this study of 68 dollar-bills out of the billions in the general circulation did not prove that bacteria can be spread from person to person during the exchange of money.
"However, this study highlights the possibility that money can be a vehicle for rapid spread of bacteria."
The study was presented at at the General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.
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