New Research Suggests There Are Invisible Viruses Lurking On Toothbrushes And Showerheads, Many Of Which Are New To Science And Target Bacteria

Your bathroom may look clean, but in reality, there are microscopic germs lurking on every surface. For instance, toothbrushes and showerheads are teeming with invisible viruses that have remained undiscovered until recently.
The discovery was made after researchers studied samples they collected from 96 showerheads and 34 toothbrushes from bathrooms in the United States. They found 614 viruses among the samples, and many of them are new to science.
The thought of all those germs on your toothbrush might make your skin crawl, but the researchers say it shouldn’t be a cause for alarm.
The newfound viruses don’t infect humans. They are called bacteriophages or “phages,” which infect bacterial cells instead.
The viruses could also help develop treatments against antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Currently, scientists are working on “phage therapies” that use viruses to replace or use in conjunction with traditional antibiotics.
“The number of viruses we found is absolutely wild,” said Erica Hartmann, the lead author of the study and a professor of microbiology at Northwestern University.
“We found many viruses that we know very little about and many others that we have never seen before. It’s amazing how much untapped biodiversity is all around us. And you don’t even have to go far to find it; it’s right under our noses.”
Previously, it was estimated that there are about one trillion species of microbes on our planet, and scientists still haven’t discovered 99.9 percent of them.
They have explored the deep ocean and other locations to learn more about microbial life, but the researchers behind the new study chose not to stray too far from home.

Natasha – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
They swabbed toothbrushes and showerheads in the houses of volunteers. When they examined the DNA in the samples, they found more than 600 different viruses. Additionally, they realized that no two samples were the same.
“We saw basically no overlap in virus types between showerheads and toothbrushes,” said Hartmann.
“We also saw very little overlap between any two samples at all. Each showerhead and each toothbrush are like its own little island.”
The most common type of virus found in the samples was mycobacteriophages. They infect and kill mycobacteria, a wide-ranging group of microbes that include some germs that cause certain diseases like leprosy, tuberculosis, and chronic lung infections.
The researchers hope that further research will allow them to create new antibacterial drugs. For the time being, there’s no reason to panic over the microscopic viruses in your bathroom. According to Hartmann, microbes are everywhere, and most of them won’t make you sick.
When cleaning your bathroom, try soaking your showerhead in vinegar to remove calcium buildup instead of using disinfectant.
You should also replace your toothbrush every three to four months or when the bristles become worn to maintain hygiene.
The findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiomes.
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