February 19, 2008

Hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the
spread of communicable diseases. If it's that good, why are
there so many antibacterial soaps, wipes, and household
products on the market?

They are found everywhere but not easily identified.
Antibacterials go by obscure names; such as Triclosan,
triclocarban and quaternary ammonium compounds. And they
are found in things you wouldn't expect; plastic kitchen
tools, highchairs, toys, bedding, and fabrics.

While antibacterials have a valuable use in health care
facilities, their domestic use represents a risk in the
growth of superbugs. Not all bugs need drugs. Viral
infections, such as colds, and minor bacterial infections
should not be treated with antibiotics.

The abuse of antibiotics is killing us yet the dangers
remain fuzzy. Part of the confusion comes from the way that
antibacterials work.

Perhaps it seems too simple to be true but the best
treatment is to wash bacteria away with soap and water.

Another way is to kill them with chemicals. This works on
surfaces that must be sterile, such as clinical settings.
These antibacterials work by disrupting bacteria's metabolic
processes or depriving them of oxygen. Antibacterials such
as alcohols, chlorine, peroxides, and aldehydes, are good
for cleaning counters but you wouldn't want to use them on
your skin.

Consequently, manufacturers have come up with milder
antibacterials that you can use anywhere. Because they are
mild, they don't kill 100 per cent of the bacteria. The
trouble with chemicals like Triclosan is that whatever
remains has a genetic resistance. Then they breed more
resistant progeny, and worse, spread the resistance to other
types of bacteria through a process known as cross
resistance.

Even if you are not an injection drug user living on the
street, you can take no comfort. Everyone can carry
dangerous superbugs like MRSA. All they need is a break to
cause serious illness and death; like a emergency that
requires hospital care or long-term care facilities.

The home can be a breeding lab for superbugs, says Pat
Thomas, Health Editor of The Ecologist. "We are changing
the basic ecology of our homes, turning them from places of
safety into reservoirs of resistance," says Thomas,
"[Increasing] the likelihood that antibacterials of all
kinds, including medicines and cleaning fluids, will be
ineffective when and where we need them most - - in our
hospitals and clinics."

Once bacteria become resistant to antibacterials, that
resistance is not only spread to their offspring and to
other species but to other antibacterials. One common
bacterium that causes wound infection first became resistant
to chlorhexidine and then it became resistant to ampicillin
and Triclosan even though it hadn't been exposed to them.

Triclosan acts more like an antibiotic than an
antibacterial. Triclosan profoundly disrupts the
microclimate of the home by killing off all but the most
resistant species. But Triclosan's work doesn't stop at
home. Washed down the drain, it threatens the wider
environment. Despite claims of manufacturers, Triclosan
doesn't break down in rivers and lakes. It is toxic to
aquatic life and frequently found in drinking water. While
its effects on the skin are relatively mild, the effect of
ingesting Triclosan is unknown; as is the toxicity of
chemicals that it combines with in the environment.

Don't expect conservative governments to restrict the sale
of Triclosan. They believe that regulations are an
impediment to industry. Even if they tried to ban it from
Canada, the manufacturers could sue the government for loss
of business under Chapter 11 of NAFTA, which places trade
above safety.

We need to rethink the war on bacteria. The attack on all
bacteria is misguided because most of them protect us from
harm by sheer numbers. Benign bacteria occupy territory and
use resources that keep harmful bugs from gaining a
foothold. When we kill friendly bacteria, we open the door
to harmful ones.

Our bodies carry ten times more bacterial cells than human
cells, although they are much smaller. Bacteria in our guts
produce vitamins and help in digestion. Human genome
researchers think that at least 40 of our genes are
bacterial in origin. Bacteria are us.

This is no reason to be complacent about dangerous bacteria
but the wholesale slaughter of them is not a good idea.
Just as we wouldn't kill all our cells because some of them
are cancerous, the indiscriminate destruction of our
friendly bacteria makes no sense.

David Charbonneau is the owner of Trio Technical.
He can be reached at dcharbonneau13@shaw.ca

go back to my Columns in the