Doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers could be unknowingly contributing to a major public health concern
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.
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.
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