New bacteria appear in unexpected places

The community of bacteria and viruses on toothbrushes even shows outstanding diversity compared to other bathroom tools such as shower heads, door handles, sprayers, toilet seats, etc.

Toothbrush heads, door handles, dental hygiene tools, bathroom equipment… have long been known as hiding places for many types of harmful bacteria and viruses.

Recently, researchers at Northwestern University (USA) discovered many types of bacteria that have never been recorded in any category, completely new to science, on shower heads and toothbrushes.

The bacteria on the average toothbrush tend to reflect the bacteria in your mouth. (Photo illustration: Getty).

'It's amazing how many undiscovered microorganisms are around us,' said Erica Hartmann, who led the research. 'We found many obscure bacteria, and some that we've never seen before. You don't even have to go far, it's right under our noses.'

Erica Hartmann shared that she and her colleagues came up with the idea of ​​studying bacteria on toothbrushes due to recent concerns that flushing the toilet could spread pathogens to the surrounding area of ​​the bathroom and toilet.

Research shows that the bacteria on the average toothbrush tends to reflect the bacteria in your mouth . That means the more bacteria it has, the worse your oral health is probably.

During their search, researchers identified several types of bacteriophages , which are viruses that infect bacterial cells and multiply inside the cells.

Notably, the "community" of viruses and bacteria on toothbrushes even shows outstanding diversity compared to other bathroom tools such as shower heads, door handles, sprayers, toilet seats, etc.

However, only some viruses and bacteria can pose a danger to human health if they multiply.

Erica Hartmann advises against overreacting to these mostly harmless bacteria . "Bacteria are everywhere and most of them won't make us sick," Hartmann explains.

Regarding the habit of using disinfectants to keep the bathroom clean, this expert said that sometimes, this is not a good idea.

Using disinfectants to attack bacteria can cause them to develop better resistance to the drugs, or become harder to treat in the future.