Is It Safe to Touch Worms With Your Bare Hands?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

No, that's not my hand, and I haven't tried touching a worm yet.

There are lots of worms in my container garden. Especially under the container pots when I lift to reposition them due to cleaning or taking them out of the rain. Or when I replant a plant to a bigger pot, the soil from the previous pot would have some worms.

One time I found one or two wriggling their way towards a certain direction.

I would pick them up with a barbecue stick, the slimmer sticks and not the ones used for banana cues coz it's harder being thicker, and put them in our biggest recycled plastic container that was formerly used for laundry. Right now only our second amapalya is planted in it.

Are we having worms because of the vermicasts mixed with the garden soil, carbonized rice hulls and coco peat?

According to an article:

"Earthworms and red wriggler worms are perfectly safe to hold bare-handed, though it’s probably prudent to wash your hands before eating your next meal."

However, another article says:

"“Pathogens that we already know can be carried by worms include E. coli O157 and salmonella. These bacteria can cause severe gastrointestinal infections in humans and are commonly found in soil."

What could be beneficial is mostly for the plants. An article says:

"They improve soil structure, water movement, nutrient cycling and plant growth. ... They are not the only indicators of healthy soil systems, but their presence is usually an indicator of a healthy system."

And of course, the vermicasts are their shit that are very good for plants.