Sponges in the kitchen are real nests bacteria

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Published the 02.08.2017 at 16h12

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hygiènecuisineentérobactéries

The germophobes would do better to look away. In our houses you will find objects which, at the microscopic level, are real monsters. It is a sponge from the kitchen. They are full of bacteria, some of which may be dangerous, according to the results of a study published in Scientific Reports.

Microbiologists in germany have analyzed what they could contain, and their results are not very satisfactory. They host up to 50 billion micro-organisms to the cubic centimeter, of which some, like the enterobacteria Escherichia, Citrobacter, or Leclercia, can cause intestinal infections, especially in people in the immune system fragile.

An ideal environment

The researchers analyzed 14 sponges and scrapers from homes, germans are close geographically. They have not found all the micro-organisms observed in other studies, such as Salmonella, Proteus and Campylobacter. Their hypothesis : the proximity of homes decreases the chance of having more variety bacterial, and it is quite possible that other microbes are observed in other regions.

By their porous structure, their storage in a humid environment, the contact with hands and food, the sponges provide micro-organisms with an ideal environment to develop serenely. They are not always sterile, even new ones, remind researchers.

Very quickly, all of these bacteria are found and incubate in the object, and then redéploient as soon as the user cleans something. Be it the dishes, the countertops, the sink or the refrigerator.