Stephen Messenger writes on Treehunger:
The manufacturers of cleaning products have made a lot of money convincing people that they are under constant assault from harmful bacteria. We’ve been told that the only way to keep our families safe and ensure good health is to disinfect, disinfect, disinfect!
But, according to the latest research, all this superfluous disinfecting could be spawning mutant bacteria capable of resisting the strongest antibiotics. These superbugs have even the most unflappable of scientists doubling-up on their intensifiers:
“This is very, very worrying,” says one researcher.
The research conducted by the National University of Ireland tested the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which responsible for one out of every ten hospital-acquired infections. This strain is said to be “opportunistic” in that it typically affects those with immune systems already weakened.
A mutated strain of P. aeruginosa was observed developing a resistance to the common disinfectant benzalkonium chloride (BSK) with rapidly increasing tolerance. Eventually, the mutated superbug was able withstand concentrations of BSK 400 times greater than the non-mutated strain, according to a report in the Star.
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