College Students Should be Weary of Bacteria Near their Toothbrush

An interesting study suggests that there is transmission of fecal coliforms in communal bathrooms at a university and that a toothbrush can serve as transmitting the pathogenic organisms. The problem is when there is fecal matter on your toothbrush from someone else which contains bacteria or parasites that are not part of your normal flora. In the study toothbrushes were collected from those using communal bathrooms with around 9.4 occupants per bathroom. Regardless of how the toothbrush was stored at least 60% were found to have fecal coliforms. There was an 80% chance that the fecal colifroms on the toothbrushes did not belong to their owner and came from another person using the same bathroom. The authors of the study note that using a toothbrush cover does not protect the toothbrush from bacteria growth and instead creates an environment where bacteria … Read more