Kitchen sponge can harbor dangerous bacteria
The dishwashing sponge found in almost every home already contains millions of microbes after only a short time of use, including close relatives of bacteria that cause pneumonia or meningitis.
German researchers at Justus Liebig Universität Gießen and Hochschule Furtwangen University sequenced the DNA of the microbe found in 14 kitchen sponges. They discovered dangerous bacteria in them, which re can cause infections in wasps b with a weakened immune system.
When researchers placed sponges under a microscope they discovered that for every cubic centimeter of sponge there were more than 5 x 10 10 bacteria. That’s seven times the number of people on the planet.
According to the scientists, such a density of bacteria is only found in the fecal. Interestingly, cleaning a sponge by boiling it or putting it in the microwave ki does not have the intended effect. Researchers found that sponges that were subjected to cleaning treatments had a higher percentage of dangerous bacteria than sponges that re never cleaned.
This may be due to the fact that pathogenic bacteria in the riches are more resistant to cleaning and quickly recolonize areas abandoned by their cleaning-prone brethren. A similar mechanism occurs in our intestines after treatment with antibiotics. By killing some bacteria we open the way for others.
Sponges are not only habitats for bacteria. Through our habits, such as wiping the surface of the countertop, table or desk with a kitchen sponge, we spread potentially dangerous bacteria throughout the apartment.
German scientists found on kitchen sponges m.in. Campylobacter jejuni – bacteria responsible for acute gastroenteritis, Enterobacter cloacae – antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause dr g urinary tract infections or pneumonia, Klebsiella pneumoniae – pneumonia bacillus, Proteus – microorganisms responsible for urinary tract infections or the bacteria Escherichia coli, a Escherichia coli that causes gastrointestinal diseases.
„Our research highlights and illustrates the role of kitchen sponges as a hot spot in microbial contamination in the kitchen environment, with the possibility of accumulating and spreading bacteria with probable pathogenic potential” – wrote the authors of the study in a scientific article published in Scientific Reports.
Kitchen sponges have the highest levels of bacteria in the entire kitchen environment. The only solution to keep the kitchen relatively clean is to change dishwashing sponges every week – german researchers advise. In this way b we reduce the amount of bacteria in our kitchens and our exposure to them.
