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Your dirty shower head could make you seriously ill, scientists warn

Is there slime clinging to your shower head? (Getty)
Is there slime clinging to your shower head? (Getty)

There’s something in your shower which could seriously harm you – the slime clinging to the shower head.

Researchers at CU Boulder say that the ‘biofilm’ clinging to the shower head can hold mycobacterium – which can cause a serious lung disease.

It’s rare, but the bacteria appears to be linked to cases of NTM lung disease, which can cause chronic lung infections lasting for months, leading to cough, fatigue and unexplained weight loss.

The researchers DNA tested shower heads in America and Europe, and found that areas with high levels of mycoacteria roughly matched areas in America where NTM lung disease is most prevalent.

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The researchers found that households with municipal tap water (rather than well water) had more mycobacteria, as did households with metal showerheads.

Lead researcher Matt Gebert said, ‘It’s important to understand routes of mycobacterial exposure, especially in the household.

‘We can learn a lot from studying the biofilm that accumulates inside your showerhead, and the associate water chemistry.

‘There is a lot of interesting ecology at work, and it allows us to begin to understand how it can impact human health.’

Gebert says that most households don’t have the bacteria – which can be killed with disinfectant, and adds, ‘There is definitely no reason to fear showering.’