Transcript: Your mouth is home to 500 bacterial strains. And guess what: That guy drinking the beer bong you're about to use next? His mouth has 500 bacterial strains, too. When you're out partying, the sanitation of your cup, tap or funnel, is probably not the first thing on your mind-but maybe it should be! Aside from those 500 strains of bacteria, the person you're sharing drinks with could have the Epson-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis, among other things. Although most people only get mono once, the virus-which affects 95-percent of people at some point-remains in the body for life. And while hooking up is the most common way to spread mono, this “kissing disease” can also come from sharing drinks. Obviously, the best way to keep yourself sanitary is to not share your drinking equipment. But if you're doing keg stands, or drinking straight from a beer tap, you're exposing yourself to even more germs than you would by just sharing a glass. There can be upwards of 500,000 different strains of bacteria on the spigot! So if the idea of drinking germs grosses you out, keep to your own cup, and keep your lips off the beer tap.