Kills all known germs - current status

The paper I quoted in my first piece about antibacterial household products was quite old. It did, I believe explain the risks behind these products quite well, so, what is the more recent research and opinion telling us?

The main antibacterial agent used in soaps and cleaning products is triclosan. It acts in a similar fashion to many systemic antibiotics and may have other mechanisms that can confer resistance to antibiotics.

Use of products containing triclosan may create an environment containing a low level of antibiotic, not enough to kill bacteria, but an ideal place bacteria do develop resistance.

Therefore, if you get an infection from your supposedly clean kitchen counter, the antibiotics the doctor prescribes will have no effect.

I must point out that this has not been conclusively proven. Some studies have found MRSA resistant bacteria on the hand dispensers of antibacterial soap, while another study found no increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria in households using antibacterial products.

However, there is enough concern for calls to ban triclosan use in household products. Last year (2009) the Canadian Medical Association asked the Canadian government for a ban and its safety is currently under review by the FDA.

So, even if it hasn't been proved to be dangerous just yet, is it a risk you want to take in your own home?


References:

Management of Antimicrobials in Infectious 377
Diseases, 2010, Part 3, 377-386, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60327-239-1_20

Kills all known germs

We are bombarded on a daily basis with ways to protect ourselves and our loved ones from evil, deadly germs and bacteria. They are even depicted as nasty little monsters out to get us at every turn.

Of course, some of these bacteria can do a lot of harm and one of the most significant advancements in modern medicine was the discovery of the antibiotic, Penicillin, by Alexander Fleming in 1928.

Penicillin allowed diseases such as syphilis, gangrene and tuberculosis to be easily treated for the first time.
Unfortunately, this wonder drug has been over used which has led to mutations and antibiotic resistant bacteria. This leads to infections that cannot be treated by conventional means, the so called 'super bugs'. An example of which is MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus).

Are we now repeating the mistake with antibacterial household products?

There is a lot of concern that we are doing just that. I recently read an interesting article by Stuart B. Levy in the journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases (Vol. 7, No. 3 Supplement, June 2001) which lays the fasts out very well.

You can read the article here.

Its worth considering next time your are picking up some kitchen cleaner in the supermarket.