Although the surgical scrubs, white coats, and other uniforms worn by doctors and nurses may look clean, they could actually be sheltering a horde of bacteria capable of causing disease, according to researchers from the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.
A study published in the American Journal of Infection Control found that more than 60 percent of health workers' uniforms tested positive for pathogen which included the bacteria that causes pneumonia and infections of the bloodstream as well as bacteria that's resistant to bacteria.
According to msnbc.com, 63 percent of uniforms tested positive for at least one pathogen. Of those, 11 percent were Methicillian-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains of bacteria that are resistant to most antibiotics.
"These data suggest that personnel attire may be one route by which pathogenic bacteria are transmitted to patients," the researchers concluded.
To read the entire msnbc.com story, go here now.
© 2011 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
