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A lung disease has been linked to the most common group of germs which
populate the average household showerhead. The biofilm on metal showerheads was
more likely to contain mycobacteria than those on plastic units, according to
the authors of a study published in MBio.
一般家庭淋浴喷头中最常见的细菌群与肺病有关。根据发表在MBio杂志上的一项研究表明，在金属淋浴喷头上的生物膜比塑料喷头上的生物膜更容易含有分枝杆菌。
Breathing in aerosols of a specific type of mycobacteria can cause
nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM). Most people do not fall ill if they inhale
mycobacteria. However, if the organisms attack the lungs, it can trigger
inflammation. Left untreated, a chronic lung infection can occur, bringing
coughing, shortness of breath, weight loss and tiredness. Treatment can involve
taking antibiotics for at least 12 months.
吸入特定类型分枝杆菌的气溶胶可导致非结核分枝杆菌(NTM)。大多数人在吸入分枝杆菌后不会生病。然而，如果这些微生物攻击肺部，就会引发炎症。如果不及时治疗，可能会发生慢性肺部感染，引起咳嗽、气短、体重减轻和疲劳。如果想治愈的话，至少要服用12个月的抗生素，(同时还要配以其他医疗手段)。
In the U.S., more than 80,000 people have NTM, most of whom are older
adults, according to the American Lung Association.
根据美国肺脏协会的数据显示，美国有8万多人患有NTM肺病，其中大多数是老年人。
The authors warned that NTM infections were “increasingly recognized as a
threat to public health” as they can be difficult to treat, and that rates were
on the rise in the U.S. and other developed countries.
作者警告称，NTM感染逐渐被认为是对公众健康的威胁，因为它们很难治疗，而且美国和其他发达国家的NTM感染率正在上升。
The “hot spots” of mycobacteria were found where NTM was most common, the
authors found. Past research showed the disease is most prevalent in Hawaii,
southern California, Florida and New York City.
作者发现，“热点”区域通常与NTM肺病最常见的区域重叠。过去的研究表明，这种疾病在夏威夷、南加州、佛罗里达和纽约市达最为普遍。
Dr. Noah Fierer, study author and Cooperative Institute for Research in
Environmental Sciences (CIRES) fellow and professor of ecology and evolutionary
biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said in a statement: “There is
a fascinating microbial world thriving in your showerhead, and you can be
exposed every time you shower.
该论文的研究作者，环境科学研究合作研究所的研究员，兼科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的生态学和进化生物学教授在一份声明中说:“在你的淋浴头上有一个迷人的微生物世界，你每次洗澡的时候它们都会出来。”
Most of those microbes are harmless, but a few are not, and this kind of
research is helping us understand how our own actions—from the kinds of water
treatment systems we use to the materials in our plumbing—can change the makeup
of those microbial communities, he said.
他说，“这些微生物大多是无害的，但也有少数的个别，我们的研究正在帮助我们了解如何改善目前这一窘境，包括我们采用什么样的水处理系统以及我们的管道应该采用什么材料，这些都能够帮助我们改变这些微生物群落的组成。” |
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发表于 2018-11-17 13:02:29