Washing Machines Could Be a Breeding Ground for Hazardous Germs
Between 2012 and 2013, 13 infants and one child in a German hospital were exposed to a potentially deadly bacteria, which originated in a washing machine.
Scientists fear that other harmful pathogens could also be spread this way.
While washing clothes in cold water can save money and energy, researchers recommend that the clothing and linen of vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, infants, and those with active infections, be washed at higher temperatures.
Infants in the neonatal unit at a German hospital were exposed to deadly pathogens found growing in the washing machine that the hospital used to wash the children’s soiled laundry.
Between 2012 and 2013, the bacteria, Klebsiella oxytoca, was transmitted to 13 newborns and one child through their knitted socks and beanies, according to research published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
K. oxytoca can cause infections—like pneumonia and urinary tract infections—in vulnerable communities with weakened immune systems, like the elderly and newborns. Scientists are concerned that other types of antibacterial-resistant pathogens potentially lingering in health care facilities could be spread this way.
Once the hospital discovered the bacteria, the staff immediately cleaned the facilities and successfully treated the infants with antibiotics. “Luckily, these babies did not suffer any dangerous infections,” hygiene officer Daniel Exner of the University Hospital Bonn said in a press statement.
Fortunately, hygienists could easily trace the path of the bacteria because it was a strain of K. oxytoca that had not yet been entered into a pathogen database, meaning it was totally unique. Parents and hospital staff were tested and not found to have spread the pathogen.
Hospital staff immediately tested sinks, wash basins, and other surfaces that the children had come into contact with for traces of the pathogen. Eventually, traces of the bacteria were found in siphons in two of the sinks and on the rubber door seal and detergent drawer of a washing machine in the hospital’s basement.
Once it was discovered that the washing machine was responsible for the pathogens spread, it was removed. In the four years following the machine’s removal, no bacteria colonizations were reported.
Previous research has shown that washing machines can foster the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. “However, we have proven for the first time that a washing machine can also spread antibiotic-resistant bacteria to humans,” Exner said in the statement.
The researchers stress that (in health care settings, especially) laundry that comes in contact with vulnerable populations who are in nursing care, and those with infections, should be washed on the hot cycle, at temperatures above 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
But don’t ditch your washer yet! It’s important to note that our bodies, our clothes, and, well, nearly everything we own are covered in plenty of good germs that keep us healthy. Most healthy individuals shouldn’t be especially concerned about the spread of bacteria, the researchers note.
And washing laundry on the cold or warm cycle is a great way to save money and energy, reducing users’ impact on their wallet and the environment.
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