'My Dishwasher Is Trying to Kill Me': New Research --Harmful Fungal Pathogens Living in Appliances

[Elmore Furth]

'Sick House Syndrome' is really unhealthy and hard to cure.

Sick building syndrome

A potentially pathogenic fungus has found a home living in extreme conditions in some of the most common household appliances, researchers have found. A new paper published in the British Mycological Society journal, Fungal Biology, published by Elsevier, shows that these sites make perfect habitats for extremotolerant fungi (which includes black yeasts). Some of these are potentially dangerous to human health.

Modern living comes with an increasing need for electrical household equipment such as dishwashers, washing machines and coffee machines. A characteristic of these appliances is a moist and hot environment. In the case of dishwashers, high temperatures between 60º to 80ºC are intermittently produced and aggressive detergents and high concentrations of salt are used in each washing cycle.

The article focuses on the occurrence of potentially pathogenic fungal flora located in dishwashers, over a sample of private homes from 101 cities on 6 continents. 62% of the dishwashers contained fungi on the rubber band in door, 56% of which accommodated the polyextremotolerant black yeasts Exophiala dermatitidis and E. phaeomuriformis. Both Exophiala species showed remarkable tolerance to heat, high salt concentrations, aggressive detergents, and to both acid and alkaline water. This is a combination of extreme properties not previously observed in fungi.

The discovery of this widespread presence of extremophilic fungi in some of our common household appliances suggests that these organisms have embarked on an extraordinary evolutionary process that could pose a significant risk to human health in the future.




'My Dishwasher Is Trying to Kill Me': New Research Finds Harmful Fungal Pathogens Living in Dishwasher Seals

[kestrel91316]

1. I knew there was a reason why I was better off not using my dishwasher

at all these past 25 years........

[elfin]

3. My neighbor (Firefighter and EMT) INSISTED

I replace my dishwasher because when he was the firehouse cook and their dishwasher crapped out, ALL personnel were downed with severe digestive illness, endangering the community due to inadequate manpower available.

It was determined that the culprit was due to just hot and not scalding water used to clean the communal dishes.

So I will continue to use my dishwasher, though I really don't NEED to.

[kestrel91316]

6. Dishes don't need to be sterilized, or even close. Soap and hot water,

used properly, are sufficient to remove bacteria and viruses.

If proteinaceous debris isn't removed, pathogens can be harbored under it. If hands aren't washed after using the toilet, they can and will contaminate clean dishes.

And yes, I have a degree in microbiology. And have a special interest in zoonoses and food safety issues as a veterinarian.

When people have a dishwasher to do their work, they get lazy and/or forget how to do the job with their own hands. Sad, but true. Humans are human.

[WolverineDG]

11. Did they check the sponge? nt

[blue neen]

2. Good grief, that's disgusting.

I wonder if there is anything we can do to prevent it.

[snagglepuss]

5. Since its found on the rubber band perhaps changing it regularly would be

a good idea, if it survives heat and harsh detergents, bleach wouldn't do much either. It'd be nice if articles like this gave some suggestions.

[snagglepuss]

4. I wonder if this is related to story in the post about infections from new super sized fungi.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x106000


:(

[bemildred]

7. Sort of like HVAC and Legionaires disease.

I never liked dishwashers anyway.

[Tallulah]

8. I don't either

I prefer to wash dishes by hand because I know they are cleaner than a dishwasher can get them.

I do run it at least once a week because my last one broke from non use. I had to replace it before I moved. Money I did not have but I was obligated.

[bemildred]

9. Yes. More trouble than it's worth.

Like a lot of "modern conveniences".

We have one, but we don't use it, and it's good that way.

[WolverineDG]

10. well, I guess I'm washing dishes by hand for the rest of my life

:scared:

dg

[RebelOne]

12. I don't own a dishwasher and have been washing dishes

by hand for the past 12 years. Seems it is a good thing I don't have one. Since I live alone there are not too many dishes to wash anyway.

[SheilaT]

13. Dishwashers do tend to get dishes

a lot cleaner than hand-washing does. In a lot of households, that can mean things like colds and flu don't get passed around as easily. My sister won't use the dishwasher, and she and her kids almost constantly have colds. I use it, and we don't. I really this is just anecdotal, but I have noticed a similar connection in other families.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

14. I've always used a dishwasher. I think it's a necessity for getting dishes clean.

tap water is hot enough to scald you, but not hot enough to kill the germs.

Dishwashers have a heating coil in the bottom in order to heat the water hot enough so that it kills the germs. I think a lot of people do not understand this and wash dishes by hand.