Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Associated Press - September 15, 2009
Randolph E. Schmid, The Associated Press
People with normal immune systems have little to fear, but these microbes could be a concern for those with cystic fibrosis or AIDS, people who are undergoing cancer treatment or those who have had a recent organ transplant.
Researchers at the University of Colorado tested 45 showers in five states as part of a larger study of the microbiology of air and water in homes, schools and public buildings. They reported their shower findings in today's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .
In general, is it dangerous to take showers? "Probably not, if your immune system is not compromised in some way," lead author Norman Pace said. "But it's like anything else - there is a risk associated with it."
The researchers offered suggestions for the wary, such as getting all-metal showerheads, which microbes have a harder time clinging to.
Still, showerheads are full of nooks and crannies, making them hard to clean, the researchers note, and the microbes come back even after treatment with bleach.
People who have filtered showerheads could replace the filter weekly, added co-author Laura K. Baumgartner. And, she said, baths don't splash microbes into the air as much as showers, which blast them into easily inhaled aerosol form.
It doesn't seem as frightening as the famous murder-in-the-shower scene in Hitchcock's classic 1960 movie. But it's something to be reckoned with all the same.
The bugs in question are Mycobacterium avium, which have been linked to lung disease in some people.
Indeed, studies by the National Jewish Hospital in Denver suggest increases in pulmonary infections in the U.S. in recent decades from species like M. avium may be linked to people taking more showers and fewer baths, according to Pace.
Symptoms of infection can include tiredness, a persistent, dry cough, shortness of breath, weakness and "generally feeling bad," he said.
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