Ecological Analyses of Mycobacteria in Showerhead Biofilms and Their Relevance to Human Health.

ABSTRACT: Bacteria within the genus Mycobacterium can be abundant in showerheads, and the inhalation of aerosolized mycobacteria while showering has been implicated as a mode of transmission in nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung infections. Despite their importance, the diversity, distributions, and environmental predictors of showerhead-associated mycobacteria remain largely unresolved. To address these knowledge gaps, we worked with citizen scientists to collect showerhead biofilm samples and associated water chemistry data from 656 households located across the United States and Europe. Our cultivation-independent analyses revealed that the genus Mycobacterium was consistently the most abundant genus of bacteria detected in residential showerheads, and yet mycobacterial diversi

SUBMITTER: Gebert MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6212831 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature