Bacteria linked to Crohn's disease found in shower, river water aerosols

Since I have Crohn’s disease, this article really stuck out at me. After reading it, I don’t think the findings are very definitive, but this may lead to more research on the mechanism of how the normal flora gets shifted in the intestines of Crohn’s disease patients. 

It is known that “virtually all Crohn’s patients carry Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis”. This organism is very difficult to detect and culture, but it is necessary because it is a chronic enteric pathogen. The river taff in Cardiff, Wales was tested, and found to bare this specific organism.

Since I have Crohn’s disease, this article really stuck out at me. After reading it, I don’t think the findings are very definitive, but this may lead to more research on the mechanism of how the normal flora gets shifted in the intestines of Crohn’s disease patients. 

This study tested aerosols and biofilm samples from the River Taff area in Cardiff, Wales. 5 aerosol samples and 30 domestic shower samples from 23 homes across 4 UK counties were collected with a high volume impaction sampler, along with biofilm samples from shower tubes and heads. Epifluorescence microscopy, bacterial cultures, and polymerase chain reaction assays were performed on each of these samples. Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis was detected in 1 of the 5 river samples and 3 of the 30 shower samples across all regions. 

This study concluded that the exposure to this organism could be due to aerosols from the rivers and domestic showers. This led them to the associated of aerosols in the river taff influencing human Crohn’s Disease. 

I have never been to Wales or the UK so I cannot speak on my exposure to this organism, but I am glad to see research in finding possible causative agents. 

Article Reference: Bacteria linked to Crohn's disease found in shower, river water aerosols