Bacterial “resistome” are communities of bacteria. Science has been studying these pathogenic communities for a long time and many studies have been published. Fortunately, the research is usually available to the public.
(2013) Could Public Restrooms Be an Environment for Bacterial Resistomes? PLoS ONE 8(1): e54223. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054223
“Antibiotic resistance in bacteria remains a major problem and environments that help to maintain such resistance, represent a significant problem to infection control in the community.
Restrooms have always been regarded as potential sources of infectious diseases and we suggest they have the potential to sustain bacterial “resistomes”.
We collected samples from 18 toilets sited in 4 different public buildings. Using MALDI-TOF-MS and other techniques, we identified a wide range of antibiotic resistant Staphylococci and other bacteria from our samples. We identified 19 different Staphylococcal species within our isolates and 37.8% of the isolates were drug resistant.”
And if you thought those findings were bad, let’s look at these scary parts of the study.
Bacterial “resistomes” are communities of bacteria often localized in specific areas and within these environments drug resistance determinants may be freely transferred.
Regarding the possibility of the direct transfer of resistance determinants within restrooms and/or within buildings, there were 11 staphylococcal isolates with the same antibiograms representing 5 different staphylococcal species and these were isolated from 5 different restrooms within the same building.”
It just gets better and better.
“Although it is possible that contaminated individuals were spreading these drug resistance determinants throughout buildings, there is also the concern that antibiotic resistance is so common in these environments and that it is easily spread. It should also be noted that Coagulase-negative staphylococci can be a significant problem in healthcare situations and in some countries, have been reported to be the third most common causative agent of nosocomial infections and the most frequent cause of nosocomial bloodstream infections.
Our study shows that non-healthcare restrooms are a source of antibiotic resistant bacteria where a collection of antibiotic resistance genes in pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria could form a resistome containing a “nexus of genetic diversity.”
I have ponder this situation for the last six years, since first trying to teach my 5 year old twins how to use the public restroom at Target.
“What do you think” about this issue, because I am afraid of the ramifications of Bacterial Resistomes transmutation. Anyone agree with me or want to talk me down?
“Without equity, pandemic battles will fail. Viruses will simply recirculate, and perhaps undergo mutations or changes that render vaccines useless, passing through the unprotected populations of the planet.” Laurie Garrett – awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism in 1996
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