We hate to give you the creeps, but there is a good chance that both your toothbrush and showerhead are crawling with germs.
In a study led by Northwestern University, microbiologists and others found these two bathroom fixtures to be “teeming with an extremely diverse collection of viruses,” according to a summary of the researchers’ findings.
Individual samples turned up more than 600 separate viruses in total, with no two samples being alike. Many of the bugs have never been seen before.
Before you panic over these viruses, know that they aren’t interested in you. They have their sights set on bacteria.
Bacteriophage — a type of virus also known as “phage” — infect and replicate inside of bacteria. Relatively little is known about phage, but research has indicated that they might be helpful in treating bacterial infections that are resistant to today’s antibiotics.
In the summary of the research findings, study leader Erica M. Hartmann — an indoor microbiologist and associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering — described each showerhead and toothbrush as being “like its own little island” in terms of the diversity of viruses.
She says:
“The number of viruses that we found is absolutely wild. We found many viruses that we know very little about and many others that we have never seen before. It’s amazing how much untapped biodiversity is all around us. And you don’t even have to go far to find it; it’s right under our noses.”
Hartmann notes that microbes prefer environments with water, as they find it difficult to live on surfaces such as tables and walls. That makes toothbrushes and showerheads ideal places for them to set up shop.
In the samples, the researchers found more mycobacteriophage than other types of phage. Mycobacteriophage infect mycobacteria, which can cause illnesses such as leprosy, tuberculosis and chronic lung infections.
Hartmann expressed hope that, eventually, mycobacteriophage could be used to treat such infections.
Even if the findings give you the shivers, Hartmann urges you not to worry. The viruses are harmless to humans.
In the summary, she says:
“Microbes are everywhere, and the vast majority of them will not make us sick. The more you attack them with disinfectants, the more they are likely to develop resistance or become more difficult to treat. We should all just embrace them.”
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