A very interesting study was published in October in the journal Frontiers in Microbes from Northwestern University. It gave the results of examining the biofilm of 34 toothbrushes and 92 showerheads for viruses. The study's main author was Erica Hartmann of the School of Engineering. A biofilm is the glue-like community of microorganisms attached to a surface. Deserts have their very own.
In another study, they had already collected and identified the bacteria from those same sources after people expressed concerns about whether bacteria spewed into the air each time the toilet was flushed contaminated their toothbrushes. In that study they identified bacteria that were strains that originated mainly from peoples' mouths, not their back ends.
In this study the hunt was on for viruses. They identified hundreds of types, showing the biodiversity in the average home. BUT, the vast majority were the breeds of viruses called bacteriophages (bacterio-fahjez), or just phages, which infect only bacteria and not humans.
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Dr. Hartmann said, "The number of viruses we found is absolutely wild. We found many viruses that we know very little about and many others we had never seen before. It's amazing how much untapped biodiversity is all around us."
Scientists have known about phages for nearly a century, but only recently developed the tools needed to study them in detail.
What we do know is they may be the most prolific life form on the planet. Their history is quite complex. In 1915, English bacteriologist Fredrick Twort discovered a microscopic agent which infected and killed bacteria. In 1917, a French Canadian microbiologist, Felix H'erelle, discovered "an antagonistic microbe of the dysentery bacillus ... a virus parasitic on bacteria" and named it a "phage" from the Greek word meaning "to eat." He reported a dramatic case of a man with dysentery who recovered with phage therapy. Thus, phages were used before antibiotics to treat bacterial infections.
What goes around comes around. Phages have been studied intensely as agents against bacteria in the past couple decades because of increasing antibiotic resistance. There's an enormous amount of microbial diversity we only know a tiny bit of yet. Hartmann said, "For every bacterium, there are potentially tens or hundreds or even thousands of viruses that infect it."
Hartmann hypothesized that a bacterium in your mouth could transfer to your toothbrush, taking its viruses with it, and these could keep evolving on your toothbrush. "And so, it's possible that there are viruses basically endemic (only in) your toothbrush and nowhere else on earth." It's a hypothesis that could explain the biodiversity. No two toothbrushes or showerheads harbored the same population of phages!
This bodes well for the vast catalogue of phages that might become the foundation of new treatments. While the idea that our homes (and bodies) are harboring so many tiny, microscopic creatures might be unsettling, Hartmann believes we should learn to appreciate our little guests and friends.
Microbes are everywhere all the time. We wouldn't be able to digest our food or fend off infection if we didn't have them. As much as we might initially react with a little ick factor, I think it's important to approach the microbial world with a sense of wonder and curiosity that these are microbes that actually do an enormous amount of good and might harbor an important potential for biotechnology."
We are not alone. Get over it.
Dr. Frank Bures, a semi-retired dermatologist, has worked in Winona, La Crosse, Viroqua and Red Wing since 1978. He also plays clarinet in the Winona Municipal Band and a couple Dixieland groups.
A note from the doctor's wife:
Do you have an amusing or interesting memory of a visit to Dr. Bures' office? Was there a column he wrote that helped or amused you? We are gathering some recollections for a memoir. Please send responses to [email protected]
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