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Researchers have discovered that hand sanitizers might be losing their effectiveness.
Hand sanitizers contain alcohol, a substance that keeps bacteria at bay. However, researchers from Australia recently found that a certain type of bacteria might have developed a tolerance for alcohol. In fact, it can endure being exposed to the substance for extended periods of time.
The bacterium is called Enterococcus faecium [en-te-roh-KOK-us FEE-see-um] (E. faecium), a notorious cause of infections in hospitals. Normally, it is harmless and lives in people’s stomachs. But once activated, it may bring about infection in the stomach, blood, and urinary tract.
For the study, the researchers examined 139 samples of E. faecium that were collected before and after the widespread use of hand sanitizers in Australian hospitals. They exposed the samples to different alcohol strengths.
Results revealed that the bacteria acquired after 2010 were 10 times more resistant to alcohol. The researchers stated that the bacteria’s genes have mutated to survive even when exposed to the substance.
Despite the findings, the researchers admitted that more studies are needed to prove that E. faecium is fully tolerant to alcohol. However, Professor Timothy Stinear, one of the researchers, said that hospitals need to take extra precautions to make sure that this bacterium will not spread. He emphasized the importance of washing hands using soap.
On another note, Professor James Scott at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto stressed that people should continue using hand sanitizers. Hand sanitizers may not be effective at fighting off E. faecium, but they prevent the spread of other bacteria that can contaminate food.