Latest news with #KatieLaird
The Star
12-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
Washing machines: An unexpected source of antimicrobial resistance
A malfunctioning washing machine can be the cause of annoyance and inconvenience if it stops mid-cycle or does not drain, meaning clothes do not get washed properly, or at best, take longer than usual to dry if the spin cycle is off-kilter. But ineffective machines could be having a more dangerous impact than just being unable to erase a food stain or coffee splash: they could be spreading antimicrobial resistance by failing to rid clothes of some bacteria. Among the germs surviving on laundry are Staphylococcus aureus (which causes a range of skin and respiratory infections) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (which, as the name suggests, can cause pneumonia). 'Our research shows that domestic washing machines often fail to disinfect textiles, allowing antibiotic-resistant bacteria to survive,' said Britain's De Montfort University professor of microbiology Dr Katie Laird, whose team's study was published in the medical journal PLOS One. 'If we're serious about transmission of infectious disease via textiles and tackling antimicrobial resistance, we must rethink how we launder what our healthcare workers wear,' she said, after her team tried out six home washing machine models to see if they could successfully decontaminate healthcare worker uniforms. The team found that when they washed contaminated fabric in hot water, three of the machines 'did not disinfect the clothing during a rapid cycle', while two 'failed to clean sufficiently during the standard cycle'. Worse still, the team found that bacteria can develop resistance to domestic detergents, which in turn can render certain antibiotics ineffective against them. Doctors and scientists have been warning in recent years that overuse and misuse of antibiotics, including as an ingredient in animal feed or as a default medication at the first sign of illness in babies or toddlers, could lead to an 'antibiotic apocalypse'. Between 1.2 million and 4.9 million people worldwide are killed each year by infections after antibiotics do not work, according to University of Oxford estimates published by The Lancet medical journal in 2022, which also published a paper last year (2024) suggesting that at least 700,000 of those deaths could be prevented by making clean water more widely available and improving sanitation. – dpa ALSO READ: Study: Superbugs expected to kill 39 million by 2050
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why your laundry could be making you sick and what to do about it
Tossing in a load of wash at home sounds ordinary and harmless. But healthcare professionals who wash their work uniforms at home may be unknowingly spreading superbugs, according to a new study. Professor Katie Laird of De Montfort University Leicester, a public university in England, tested home washing machines in a study and found the machines failed to remove potentially harmful material, even after running a hot water setting at the equivalent of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Shampoo Recalled For Bacteria Contamination That Could Cause Infection "Our research highlights that domestic laundering of healthcare textiles may not consistently eliminate harmful bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria," Laird told Fox News Digital. The team tested six different models of washing machines to see how well they cleaned fabric contaminated with bacteria that can cause a variety of health conditions. Read On The Fox News App Half of the machines did not disinfect the clothing during a rapid cycle — while a third of them failed to clean sufficiently during the standard cycle. Laird, a professor of microbiology in the School of Pharmacy and head of the university's Infectious Disease Research Group, said the finding "highlights potential risks associated with laundering healthcare uniforms at home, particularly concerning the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within community and hospital settings." A Common Killer Bug Is Endangering Americans: 'Pandemic In Plain Sight' In addition, this could mean home washing machines are a hub for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Domestic detergents could even potentially create antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, according to Laird. Even if healthcare workers followed all washing guidelines, half the machines in the study didn't reach the correct temperature, the study found. "What this means is that even if healthcare workers are following all the guidelines to domestically wash their uniforms, they will still not be reaching the disinfection level required to remove all pathogenic bacteria," the professor said. The study was conducted with non-healthcare personnel, so the bacteria on that clothing may differ from the clothing of those who work in healthcare settings. New Class Of Antibiotics Discovered: 'Promising Answer' Potentially, however, the latter would see higher levels of "pathogenic and antibiotic resistant strains in healthcare workers' domestic washing machines," the professor said. Laird recommended that healthcare professionals and their institutions re-evaluate policies that allow workers to wash their work clothing at home. For more Health articles, visit "Implementing standardized in-house laundering within healthcare facilities or using external industrial laundries will enhance infection control measures," she said. Due to at-home machines not functioning as they should, per the study, the research team recommended using a disinfectant for those washing machines at least once a month. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter They also recommended doing an empty wash in the machine to disinfect it at a temperature of approximately 194 degrees Fahrenheit. "For individuals laundering at home, it's crucial to adhere strictly to guidelines, such as using appropriate temperatures and detergents, to minimize risks," Laird told Fox News Digital. The team also said that effective laundering practices are a critical component, but that these should be part of a multifaceted approach. They should "includ[e] prudent antibiotic use, robust infection control measures, and public education on hygiene practices and antimicrobial resistance," she article source: Why your laundry could be making you sick and what to do about it
Fox News
08-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Why your laundry could be making you sick and what to do about it
Tossing in a load of wash at home sounds ordinary and harmless. But healthcare professionals who wash their work uniforms at home may be unknowingly spreading superbugs, according to a new study. Professor Katie Laird of De Montfort University Leicester, a public university in England, tested home washing machines in a study and found the machines failed to remove potentially harmful material, even after running a hot water setting at the equivalent of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. "Our research highlights that domestic laundering of healthcare textiles may not consistently eliminate harmful bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria," Laird told Fox News Digital. The team tested six different models of washing machines to see how well they cleaned fabric contaminated with bacteria that can cause a variety of health conditions. Half of the machines did not disinfect the clothing during a rapid cycle — while a third of them failed to clean sufficiently during the standard cycle. Laird, a professor of microbiology in the School of Pharmacy and head of the university's Infectious Disease Research Group, said the finding "highlights potential risks associated with laundering healthcare uniforms at home, particularly concerning the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within community and hospital settings." In addition, this could mean home washing machines are a hub for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Domestic detergents could even potentially create antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, according to Laird. Even if healthcare workers followed all washing guidelines, half the machines in the study didn't reach the correct temperature, the study found. "What this means is that even if healthcare workers are following all the guidelines to domestically wash their uniforms, they will still not be reaching the disinfection level required to remove all pathogenic bacteria," the professor said. The study was conducted with non-healthcare personnel, so the bacteria on that clothing may differ from the clothing of those who work in healthcare settings. Potentially, however, the latter would see higher levels of "pathogenic and antibiotic resistant strains in healthcare workers' domestic washing machines," the professor said. Laird recommended that healthcare professionals and their institutions re-evaluate policies that allow workers to wash their work clothing at home. For more Health articles, visit "Implementing standardized in-house laundering within healthcare facilities or using external industrial laundries will enhance infection control measures," she said. Due to at-home machines not functioning as they should, per the study, the research team recommended using a disinfectant for those washing machines at least once a month. They also recommended doing an empty wash in the machine to disinfect it at a temperature of approximately 194 degrees Fahrenheit. "For individuals laundering at home, it's crucial to adhere strictly to guidelines, such as using appropriate temperatures and detergents, to minimize risks," Laird told Fox News Digital. The team also said that effective laundering practices are a critical component, but that these should be part of a multifaceted approach. They should "includ[e] prudent antibiotic use, robust infection control measures, and public education on hygiene practices and antimicrobial resistance," she said.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists issue chilling warning over washing machines after finding deadly germs survive your spin cycle
Scientists have issued a warning about home washing machines after finding the appliances fail to kill dangerous, treatment-resistant pathogens. The new study found that up to half of at-home washing machines cannot sufficiently sterilize healthcare workers' uniforms to effectively protect against the spread of infection. Researchers cited this as a serious risk for the 22 million Americans working in hospitals and other healthcare settings, as well as their families. Hospital-acquired infections are a major public health concern because they frequently involve antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as those that cause colon inflammation, boil-like skin rashes and pneumonia. Many of these infections can quickly turn deadly as many have a mortality rate between 20 and 50 percent. The researchers evaluated six models of home washing machines based on how well they disinfected healthcare worker uniforms, while also looking at various wash cycles and detergent conditions. They also investigated whether the bacteria became tolerant to detergent, and whether this also made them more resistant to antibiotics. The team found that half of the machines did not decontaminate the uniforms during a rapid cycle, while one-third failed to do so with a standard cycle. The study's findings suggested that nurses and doctors who wash their scrubs at home in standard washing machines are not fully decontaminating them, and previous studies have shown that bacteria can spread through clothing. The team, led by UK's De Montfort University, also found bacterial residue lingering in the machines, as well as traces of antibiotic-resistant genes. And to make matters worse, the investigation confirmed that bacteria can become resistant to detergent, and this increases their resistance to certain antibiotics. 'Our research shows that domestic washing machines often fail to disinfect textiles, allowing antibiotic-resistant bacteria to survive,' researchers said in a statement. 'If we're serious about transmission of infectious disease via textiles and tackling antimicrobial resistance, we must rethink how we launder what our healthcare workers wear,' they said. The study, led by microbiology professor Katie Laird, used fabric swatches contaminated with Enterococcus faecium bacteria to test the decontamination capabilities of six household washing machines. This type of bacteria can infect humans without needing a partner to reproduce, and it can cause serious illnesses like meningitis in newborns or infections in the heart. The swatches were sealed in a bacteria-impermeable membrane, which allowed researchers to handle them without risking infection and prevented the microbes from spreading. They then washed the swatches in 140°F water. According to the UK's National Health Service (NHS), a 10-minute wash at this temperature 'is sufficient to remove almost all micro-organisms' from healthcare uniforms. They also tested the effectiveness of biological and non-biological detergents. Biological detergent contains enzymes which help break down the dirt, sweat and other substances that build up in your clothes, whereas non-biological detergent does not. After washing, the researchers placed the swatches in a special broth that allowed any bacteria still clinging to them to grow. They found that only half of the machines disinfected the swatches during a rapid cycle, and two-thirds did so during a normal cycle. What's more, none of the machines actually reached 140°F. Five of them got close during normal wash cycles, reaching 134°F to 136°F and maintaining those temperatures for five to 39 minutes. Four out of those five effectively disinfected the swatches, killing 99.999 percent of the bacteria. But one machine completely failed to reduce the bacteria during the normal cycle, and only reached a maximum temperature of 68°F. During rapid wash cycles, three out of six machines did not get hot enough (only reaching 66°F to 111°F) or sufficiently kill the bacteria. The other three were successful and came just short of reaching 140°F. One proved to be more effective with non-biological detergent than biological. The researchers also sampled biofilms (bacterial residue) from inside 12 different washing machines and found parthenogenetic bacteria lurking inside all of them. In many cases, harmful, sometimes antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas and Mycobacterium (which can cause serious illnesses such as tuberculosis and leprosy) made up a significant portion of the samples. Antibiotic-resistant genes were also found in every sample, and further investigation showed that as some bacteria become more tolerant of detergent, they also become more tolerant of certain antibiotics. The researchers published their findings in the journal PLOS ONE . Altogether, these findings suggest that home washing machines may be insufficient for decontaminating healthcare worker uniforms, and could contribute to the spread of certain infections and antibiotic resistance, the team concluded.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Workers may be unknowingly spreading 'deadly hospital superbugs' with common habit
Nurses and doctors may be unknowingly worsening the spread of deadly hospital superbugs with a common habit practice outside of work, a new study has warned. According to British researchers, washing uniforms at home after work could fail to remove antibiotic-resistant bacteria from clothes. In a new study by scientists at De Montfort University in Leicester, they found that washing machine biofilms may harbour pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, which could be potential sources of bacterial contamination. READ MORE: Can hot drinks actually cool you down during a heatwave? READ MORE: Sunbed addict, 21, was told he could have 'a year to live' Study leader Professor Katie Laird, of De Montfort University said: "Our research shows that domestic washing machines often fail to disinfect textiles, allowing antibiotic-resistant bacteria to survive. "If we're serious about transmission of infectious disease via textiles and tackling antimicrobial resistance, we must rethink how we launder what our healthcare workers wear." Antibiotic resistance is believed to be one of the biggest threats to global public health. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says there were an estimated 66,730 serious antibiotic-resistant infections in 2023 – a jump from 62,314 seen in 2019. It warns that bacteria's growing resistance to antibiotics, which caused 1.14 million deaths across the globe in 2021 alone, could claim an additional 39 million lives in the next 25 years. Existing research shows that bacteria can be transmitted through clothing. Hospital-acquired infections are a major health threat because they often involve antibiotic resistant bacteria, which are significantly harder to treat. The authors of the study have warned that washing healthcare workers' uniforms at home in standard washing machines could be fuelling this threat. Prof Laird said: "Together, the findings suggest that many home washing machines may be insufficient for decontaminating healthcare worker uniforms, and may be contributing to the spread of hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic resistance." The latest study evaluated whether six models of home washing machine successfully decontaminated healthcare worker uniforms. It found that half of the machines did not disinfect the clothing during a rapid cycle, while a third failed to clean sufficiently during the standard cycle. The team also analysed the biofilms – sticky bacterial growth on washing machine surfaces – of 12 machines and found the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes. The research also showed that bacteria can develop resistance to domestic detergent, increasing their resistance to certain antibiotics. The researchers have called for a revision of laundering guidelines given to healthcare workers. Prof Laird added: "Alternatively, healthcare facilities could use on-site industrial machines to launder uniforms to improve patient safety and control the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens." The study was published in the journal PLOS One.
