Nasty Bacteria Lurk In Showerheads

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the shower, we learn there are plenty of dangerous bacteria living inside.

Some Colorado researchers report they've found high levels of pathogenic bacteria growing inside showerheads around the country. The particular group of microbes to pay attention to is the non-tuberculosis mycobacteria, cousins of the TB bug.

The chlorine in your water doesn't seem to faze these bad boys, which grew happily in mats called biofilms inside the showerheads tested. But are a lot of people getting sick from the stuff?

 

That's not so easy to answer at this point. The scientists write that Mycobacterium avium, a microbe that can sicken people with weak immune systems, was found in 20 percent of the showerheads tested. Denver and New York, mostly.

The findings from a survey of 45 showers in six parts of the country were just published online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The potential for infection sure is there. Some bacteria can ride the aerosol droplets in shower spray deep into the lungs. The scientists say you don't need to fret unless you have some underlying health issues, such as cystic fibrosis, AIDS, a recent organ transplant or are pregnant. But that lineup strikes us as a fair number of people.

And there's a report in another journal last year that describes a DNA match between the M. avium in an infected woman and the showerhead at her home. She didn't have any particular risk factors for the illness.