Toothbrush, showerhead are breeding places for viruses
A study by Northwestern University researchers has found that showerheads and toothbrushes are teeming with an extremely diverse collection of viruses — most of which have never been seen before. Although this might sound ominous, the good news is these viruses don’t target people. They target bacteria.
bacteriophage, or “phage
The microorganisms collected in the study are bacteriophage, or “phage,” a type of virus that infects and replicates inside of bacteria.
Although researchers know little about them, phage recently hasgarnered attentionfor their potential use in treating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.
absolutely wild
“The number of viruses that we found is absolutely wild
.
Inspired by concerns that a flushing toilet might generate a cloud of aerosol particles
“Microbes prefer environments with water. And where is there water? Inside our showerheads and on our toothbrushes.”
treat these infections
While they found few patterns among all the samples, Dr. Hartmann and her team did notice more mycobacteriophage than other types of phage.
Mycobacteriophage infect mycobacteria, a pathogenic species that causes diseases like leprosy, tuberculosis, and chronic lung infections
अदृश्य वन्यजीवों के बारे में चिंता न करें
Dr. Hartmann cautions people not to fret about the invisible wildlife living within our bathrooms. Instead of grabbing for bleach, people can soak their showerheads in vinegar to remove calcium buildup or simply wash them with plain soap and water. And people should regularly replace toothbrush heads, she says.
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