Bacteria resist washing on toys and books

Until now, it was believed that the bacteria that cause colds, ear infections, or sore throats could not live very long outside the human body, and therefore therefore did not survive on Items. But researchers at the University of Buffalo published a study in the journal Thursday, Dec. 26. Infection and Immunity who mthat pneumococci (Streptococcus pneumoniae) and bacteria type Streptococcus pyogenes can survive outside the human body for much longer than one could imagine.

“These findings should force us to be more careful about the presence of bacteria in our environment, since the results change all our ideas about how these bacteria are spread,” explains Anders Hakanson, assistant professor at the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences from the University of Buffalo. “This is the first article to look at the survival of bacteria on surfaces, including the hands, and potentially their spread between individuals.”

Scientists at the University of Buffalo found that in nurseries, “four out of five soft toys were infected with pneumococci and that several objects, including cribs, were positive for the presence of Streptococcus pyogenes, even after being washed ”, as indicated in the study. The researchers specify that “the tests were carried out just before the centers opened in the morning, so many hours after the last human contact. The toys, books, dolls with which our children play in nurseries are therefore in 4 out of 5 cases infected by bacteria.

Pneumococci causing pneumonia and sepsis

Pneumococci – a major cause of ear infections and pneumonia – are very common in nurseries and a common cause of infection in hospitals, according to Anders Kakansson. In developing countries, where clean water, food and antibiotics are scarce, pneumococci even cause sepsis, killing a million children a year around the world.

The Streptococcus pyogenes mainly cause throat and skin infections in children, but can also trigger very serious infections in adults.