Researchers have discovered that hospital water pipes house a community of potentially pathogenic bacteria, according to an article on the Infection Control Today website.
A paper published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology describes microbial communities found in shower hoses at a U.S. hospital.
Researchers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Georgia Institute of Technology can't say yet if these bacteria pose a threat to hospital patients.
But because some of the genes could indicate pathogenic characteristics the researchers want to learn more about the potential health implications and whether other buildings house similar biofilms, the article said.
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