"Bathing, but Not Alone" -3

"Bathing, but Not Alone" #3
The New York Times. Retrieved at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/health/15shower.html?scp=1&sq=bathing%20not%20alone&st=cse
By NICHOLAS WADE
Published: September 14, 2009


Everyday, people all over the country inhale or ingest millions of bacteria. Sitting in the office building, people inhale thousands of bacteria and in one glass of tap water one could swallow millions of them. Now to add to the office air and the drinking water, the showers that millions of people take each day, are now found to be completely filled with bacteria. The bacterium that was recently found in New York showers is a microbe that is related to the tuberculosis bacteria called Mycobacterium avium. It is also closely related to the bacterium that causes chest pains such as lifeguard’s lung, hot tub lung, and Lady Windermere’s syndrome. Microbiologists found that the bacteria is in each droplet of water that comes out of the shower and is just being inhaled deep into the lungs of the person showering. One of the microbiologists found 15 different kinds of bacteria in one shower. Even though people are being sprayed all over by a variety of bacteria every time they shower, the microbiologist said that none of them are harmful, except for M. avium. The doctor also found that the bacteria build up at the showerhead and the dose of bacteria is strongest at the beginning of the shower, and recommends that the shower be run for about 30 seconds so the amount hitting someone lessens. Also, most bacteria do not prefer metal showerheads and build up more in the plastic ones.