Caution: Killing Germs May Be Hazardous to Your Health

The author is a poet - "Their ancestors began colonizing you the moment you came into the world, inches from the least sanitary part of your mother's body, and their descendants will have their final feast on your corpse, and join you in death." I would not try to live without them, I could just eat them up"!!

It is as though we are one symbiotic community - we need the bacteria, and many of them need us. The author of this article is a poet - "Their ancestors began colonizing you the moment you came into the world, inches from the least sanitary part of your mother's body, and their descendants will have their final feast on your corpse, and join you in death." Thank you for that !

Great article Jerry Adler. The only problem I had with it, is that it seemed to sensationalize the misinformed fact that we should embrace all bacteria. The subtitle of the peice lends itself to that idea. I understand that it is meant to hook readers but informing the reader is also important and these days many people skim rather than read. It doesn't seem to be really stated matter of factly that "researchers now believe the key is exposure to a wide range of harmless germs" until page 4. Many people still don't understand this. We need to understand that our relationship with bacteria is a complicated one and that antibacterial products are not bad because they kill bacteria in general but because they kill both bad and good bacteria without distinction. Unfortunately I think it was not "a brief vogue for intentionally exposing youngsters to disease" but something that is still very popular. Other than this point, I thoroughly enjoyed the article. Thanks!

Great piece Jerry Adler. I found this very interesting. But I think you are helping to perpetuate the idea that all bacteria should be embraced by your subtitle "new science tells us we should embrace bacteria". Maybe it would have been more apt to say "new science tells us we should embrace good (or helpful?) bacteria". It wasn't until page 4 of the article that the fact was stated that "researchers now believe the key is exposure to a wide range of harmless germs". Unfortunately many people still believe that exposure to any kind of bacteria is helpful which caused as your article states "the brief vogue for intentionally exposing youngsters to disease". I don't really think this was a brief vogue, many parents and adults in general still don't understand that its not helpful to use antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers not because it kills bacteria, which one should be exposed to, but because it kills both bad and good bacteria across the board. The complexity of the bacteria question is never really understood by most people and I think journalists and scientists should do their best to lay out the truth of the situation. While I understand that the more sensational a title you create the more readers you will attract, I think that mentality should be balanced with a commitment to informing the populace. Otherwise I found this to be a great informative article.

A very interesting article! I am an acquaintance of a Daoist master named He, Binhui. I have been his student for over 3 years now. He is well known in China for medical qigong. One of the concepts he teaches is that we should learn to get along with bacteria, not try to wipe them out.

It is encouraging to learn of research and articles being published in JAMA that supports this notion. It is also gratifying to learn of these things in a major publication such as Newsweek.

The Pediatrician I had 40 years ago knew what she was talking about when she told me it was not necessary to sterilize everything around the children..she said they needed to build their won resistance to germs nd bacteria.
If the children were sick she did not give them antibiotics unless it was really necessary.
Today Parents insist on antibiotics thinking they are the cure all....
Look at how many "Anti Bacterial" products are sold, not giving our children the opportunity to
build up their own defense.

This is a very interesting article. I am an acquaintance of a Daoist master named He, Binhui. I have been a student of his for over 3 years now. He is well known for medical qigong in China. Part of the training he gives is the idea that it is better to be exposed to the bacteria and "get along" with them than to try and wipe them out.. It is encouraging to see articles like these at all...and more so in a major publication like Newsweek..

Endthesickness--I applaud your overall message, but some of what you said is misleading. Colds are viruses (the rhinovirus), NOT bacteria--two completely different organisms. Antibiotics are specifically for killing bacteria. Viruses do not respond to antibiotics, because they are not bacteria. Using a cold as part of your argument against over-prescription of antiobiotics is noble, but only if you know the reason why. Yes, your body will pull through a cold just fine on its own, but not because you leave antibiotics alone--it'll pull through on its own because cold VIRUSES have been around long enough to have become a lot less serious than they used to be.

Ok, People I just have to say that this whole "MONSTER BUG" that is in the news seems to be bothering everyone. Well, I would like to enlighten everyone with this idea.....
STOP USING ALL THE LYSOL AND GERMEX....
Why might you ask.......
WELL...
Germs are nessary for the human body to build immunity...YES....
I said it , you need to touch a few door handles and even shake hands with a stranger and leave your hand ALONE.
The reason all of our children are at risk for this "SUPER BUG" is because the physicians are over prescribing ANTIBIOTICS.

SO......The next time you decide you are sick...and need some ANTIBIOTICS.....Think before you run to the Doctor for ANTIBIOTICS.

The reason ANTIBIOTICS are even subscribed is to "help your immune system pull through" but you see, the thing is, You likely to kick the cold you have all by yourself.

Fevers over 102 F , by all means go...but if your just feeling lousy, REST...
REST......REST
Your body is feeling like crap because its busy fighting off the cold you have.

Ok, People I just have to say that this whole "MONSTER BUG" that is in the news seems to be bothering everyone. Well, I would like to enlighten everyone with this idea.....
STOP USING ALL THE LYSOL AND GERMEX....
Why might you ask.......
WELL...
Germs are nessary for the human body to build immunity...YES....
I said it , you need to touch a few door handles and even shake hands with a stranger and leave your hand ALONE.
The reason all of our children are at risk for this "SUPER BUG" is because the physicians are over prescribing ANTIBIOTICS.

SO......The next time you decide you are sick...and need some ANTIBIOTICS.....Think before you run to the Doctor for ANTIBIOTICS.

The reason ANTIBIOTICS are even subscribed is to "help your immune system pull through" but you see, the thing is, You likely to kick the cold you have all by yourself.

Fevers over 102 F , by all means go...but if your just feeling lousy, REST...
REST......REST
Your body is feeling like crap because its busy fighting off the cold you have.

People also need to be aware that if they are getting recurring boils they may have Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). HS is often misdiagnosed as a Staph infection. However unlike Staph and MRSA, HS is *NOT* contagious. If you are getting recurrent boils in inverse areas and have been diagnosed as having a Staph infection I recommend you investigate the disease Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

http://www.hs-foundation.org
http://www.hs-usa.org

Unfortunately, advertisements for products such as Lysol and Chlorox try to scare parents to keep everything sanitized. I am more worried about the products in Lysol than I am of the rhinovirus. The same goes for these anti-bacterial soaps. Years ago they had an ad campaign on the New York City subways, scaring the people who were holding to the bars or the pole, when the reality is that metal breeds very little bacteria, and most of that bacteria is harmless and probably good for developing our immune system. Let us not even forget about the environmental damage caused by manufacturing, shipping, and disposing these products. Using products that are usually meant for hospitals and other medical facilities for the every day home is completely unnecessary. Commons sense hygiene is important, but people who chronically wash their hands need to think about people in the rest of the world who barely have enough water just to drink, cook, and bathe. As for Mr. Sansoni from the Soap and Detergent Association, why do you make all of these soaps anti-bacterial, when the research has shown that they do not make a difference. Soap works by lifting dirt off skin, which prevents bacteria from breeding. By adding triclosan, a topical antibiotic, you are adding an unnecessary chemical that does very little to keep hands any cleaner than they should be. As I mentioned before, your industry's advertising has contributed to this germaphobic anxiety that exists in this country. This has prevented children from developing their immune system properly, and, most likely, this has probably contributed to the increase in allergies in this country. It is just not natural for us to live in a germ-free environment; instead, we have to learn to co-exist.

Flora Huang, BA (Biology), MPH

Unfortunately, advertisements for products such as Lysol and Chlorox try to scare parents to keep everything sanitized. I am more worried about the products in Lysol than I am of the rhinovirus. The same goes for these anti-bacterial soaps. Years ago they had an ad campaign on the New York City subways, scaring the people who were holding to the bars or the pole, when the reality is that metal breeds very little bacteria, and most of that bacteria is harmless and probably good for developing our immune system. Let us not even forget about the environmental damage caused by manufacturing, shipping, and disposing these products. Using products that are usually meant for hospitals and other medical facilities for the every day home is completely unnecessary. Commons sense hygiene is important, but people who chronically wash their hands need to think about people in the rest of the world who barely have enough water just to drink, cook, and bathe. As for Mr. Sansoni from the Soap and Detergent Association, why do you make all of these soaps anti-bacterial, when the research has shown that they do not make a difference. Soap works by lifting dirt off skin, which prevents bacteria from breeding. By adding triclosan, a topical antibiotic, you are adding an unnecessary chemical that does very little to keep hands any cleaner than they should be. As I mentioned before, your industry's advertising has contributed to this germaphobic anxiety that exists in this country. This has prevented children from developing their immune system properly, and, most likely, this has probably contributed to the increase in allergies in this country. It is just not natural for us to live in a germ-free environment; instead, we have to learn to co-exist.

Flora Huang, BA (Biology), MPH

Thank you, Newsweek for your fantastic article. I've had Crohn's Disease for almost twenty years (and I'm only 26) and I have been trying, for years, to explain to people that the rise in auto-immune diseases like mine is at least partially related to our super-sanitized worlds. Most people do not realize that, as organic beings, we need germs in our systems to perform vital functions necessary to our life. Asthma and other auto-immune illnesses became widespread, global problems when we completely removed ourselves from nature and trapped ourselves in sterile, artificial environments. We were never meant to live in such environments, as organic creatures, we were meant to live in an organic environment that would expose our bodies to germs and give our bodies a chance to acclimate to them. Our immune systems are truly amazing and, if we expose them to the right microbes, it will only make our immune system stronger. (I don't want this comment to come off as preaching that everyone should expose their kids to all germs--the article made it very clear, and I completely agree with Jessica Sach's assertion that we must be careful to expose ourselves to the "good" microbes.) Thank you Newsweek, again, for bringing people's attention to the harm we are doing to ourselves with our overly sanitized environments.

Thank you, Newsweek for your fantastic article. I've had Crohn's Disease for almost twenty years (and I'm only 26) and I have been trying, for years, to explain to people that the rise in auto-immune diseases like mine is at least partially related to our super-sanitized worlds. Most people do not realize that, as organic beings, we need germs in our systems to perform vital functions necessary to our life. Asthma and other auto-immune illnesses became widespread, global problems when we completely removed ourselves from nature and trapped ourselves in sterile, artificial environments. We were never meant to live in such environments, as organic creatures, we were meant to live in an organic environment that would expose our bodies to germs and give our bodies a chance to acclimate to them. Our immune systems are truly amazing and, if we expose them to the right microbes, it will only make our immune system stronger. (I don't want this comment to come off as preaching that everyone should expose their kids to all germs--the article made it very clear, and I completely agree with Jessica Sach's assertion that we must be careful to expose ourselves to the "good" microbes.) Thank you Newsweek, again, for bringing people's attention to the harm we are doing to ourselves with our overly sanitized environments.

In Newsweek's press release for this story and in the on-air promotions (Newsweek on Air, MSNBC), the reporters are making all kinds of claims about antibacterial soaps and cleaners that aren't backed up by the facts. We've seen no real-life evidence that these beneficial products are contributing to the MRSA problem or to antibiotic resistance at-large.

What is not being emphasized enough is the major real-life contributor to much of the antibiotic resistance problem: the misuse and over-prescription of antibiotic drugs.

Clearly, when it comes to dealing with the staph infection problems we're seeing, common sense hygiene practices need to prevail. But we can do without the headline hype that can discourage the use of beneficial hygiene and cleaning products.

Brian Sansoni,
VP-Communication
The Soap and Detergent Association, Washington, D.C.
www.cleaning101.com

Enter Your Comment

first of all, the reason alcohol works as an antiseptic is because unlike normal antibiotics which are comprised of chemical compounds that specificially target and inhibit the normal activities of certain proteins, enzymes, and cofactors, an alcohol solution draws water out of the cells (bacteria, germs, etc) thus killing them. basic biophysics where a cell has a high concentration of water relative to an alcohol solution thus the water molecules will diffuse down the gradient and out of the cell. that's how alcohol works to disinfect!

Secondly, if cleanliness is the answer, then why is it that hospitals have the most dangerous/pathogenic forms of germs, bacteria, etc. when they are routinely cleaned and disinfected? It's because of the evolution via mutation by the germs, bacteria against the antibiotics!