Health
Toothbrushes and showerheads are teeming with viruses unknown to science, study shows
Showerheads and toothbrushes are teeming with never-before-seen viruses, researchers have found.
The scientists made the discovery after studying samples collected from 96 showerheads and 34 toothbrushes from bathrooms in the United States. These samples contained 614 viruses, many of which are likely new to Science.
Although the idea of viruses on your toothbrush may trigger heebie-jeebies, this discovery isn't a cause for concern, the team said. The viruses are bacteriophages, or "phages," which infect bacterial cells, rather than humans.
What's more, these newfound viruses could be useful for developing treatments against antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Scientists are working to develop "phage therapies" that use viruses to supplement or replace traditional antibiotics, beating back the defenses of dangerous bacteria.
Related: Scientists in China find mysterious virus at the bottom of the Mariana Trench
These new findings, published Oct. 9 in the journal Frontiers in Microbiomes, could provide more potential options for future phage therapies.
"The number of viruses that we found is absolutely wild," study lead author Erica Hartmann, a professor of microbiology at Northwestern University, said in a statement.
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