2008 Woodie Awards
Health facts you should know
Germs, bacteria, and microbes - oh my!
By: Katie Martin
Issue date: 5/14/08 Section: Campus Life
There has been a recent boom in antibacterial products, from hand soaps, to foam cleansers, cleaners, baby wipes, and even deodorant-sanitizing house sprays with antibacterial chemicals.
Many consumers believe that buying antibacterial products will help prevent illnesses and keep them germ free.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the company Procter and Gamble did a study to determine if there was a difference between antibacterial soap and ordinary soap.
The purpose was to find out the effects of hand washing on diseases such as acute respiratory infections.
The result of the study was that "incidence of disease did not differ significantly between households given plain soap versus antibacterial soap" the CDC said.
The reason for consumers buying so many antibacterial products seems to be based in a fear of germs. This phobia could be market based or just a consumer drive to protect themselves better from disease or to be more germ savvy.
Dr. Stuart Levy, a microbiologist at Tufts University and also the director of the Center for Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance is concerned about the effects antibacterial products have on our environment.
Levy is alarmed that the antibacterial agents will select bacteria resistant to them and cross-resistant to antibiotics making them immune to certain antibiotics and cause children who are not exposed to common germs more vulnerable to allergies or illness.
"One of the concerns is as more and more antibacterial products are being used, what is the long term effect?" said Dr. Bruce Wilbur, M.D. director of the Health Center at California State University, Stanislaus.
There is still research being done to find out if the overuse of antibacterial products would in fact cause bacteria to mutate or evolve.
As for now there isn't a great concern and Wilbur says in regards to antibacterial products, "Use common sense, if you're dealing with a lot of people and you don't want to get sick make sure to thoroughly wash your hands which can help prevent illness."
Many consumers believe that buying antibacterial products will help prevent illnesses and keep them germ free.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the company Procter and Gamble did a study to determine if there was a difference between antibacterial soap and ordinary soap.
The purpose was to find out the effects of hand washing on diseases such as acute respiratory infections.
The result of the study was that "incidence of disease did not differ significantly between households given plain soap versus antibacterial soap" the CDC said.
The reason for consumers buying so many antibacterial products seems to be based in a fear of germs. This phobia could be market based or just a consumer drive to protect themselves better from disease or to be more germ savvy.
Dr. Stuart Levy, a microbiologist at Tufts University and also the director of the Center for Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance is concerned about the effects antibacterial products have on our environment.
Levy is alarmed that the antibacterial agents will select bacteria resistant to them and cross-resistant to antibiotics making them immune to certain antibiotics and cause children who are not exposed to common germs more vulnerable to allergies or illness.
"One of the concerns is as more and more antibacterial products are being used, what is the long term effect?" said Dr. Bruce Wilbur, M.D. director of the Health Center at California State University, Stanislaus.
There is still research being done to find out if the overuse of antibacterial products would in fact cause bacteria to mutate or evolve.
As for now there isn't a great concern and Wilbur says in regards to antibacterial products, "Use common sense, if you're dealing with a lot of people and you don't want to get sick make sure to thoroughly wash your hands which can help prevent illness."
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