2008 Woodie Awards
Welcome to the wonderful "germ freak" world
Kristen Arata
Issue date: 11/18/05 Section: Opinion
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Run, hide, and lock your door-too late, it's already here. Germs are everywhere and you can't avoid them, but you can develop germ-a-phobic behaviors.
Yes, you too, can become a germ-freak, with the help of a book by Allison Janse and Charles Gerbon entitled, "The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu: Guerilla Tactics to Keep Yourself Healthy at Home, at Work, and in the World." This may be a useful tool when fighting off germs, but what exactly are we fighting off?
The air is full of bacteria that are so small you cannot see their exact whereabouts with your naked eye. Bacteria can be found at the highest mountaintops, at the bottom of the deepest oceans, and in your bathroom! Some bacteria like it cool, and some like it hot, depending on the species. For example, species of Aquifex can live in temperatures as hot as 95 degrees Celsius but, this is not the hottest, a species belonging to Kingdom Archea vents at temperature as high as 106 degrees Celsius. Bacteria can even be found on the North and South poles, where the temperature varies between minus 17 and minus 18 degrees Celsius. Tough little monsters, aren't they?
The most common bacteria that we try to avoid is E-Coli, which is the abbreviation for the bacterium in the family Enterobacteriaceae, named Escheririchia (genus name) Coli (species name). About 0.1 percent of the total bacteria within an adult's intestine is represented by E. coli. Not all E. coli is bad; the presence of it and other bacteria in our intestines provide us with necessary vitamins such as vitamin K, and B-complex vitamins that help us operate and remain healthy. Although the good outweighs the bad, many of us have heard of the hamburger meat scares and tragedies associated with a strain of E. coli in meat. This rare strain of E. coli, 0157:H7, a member of the EHEC-Enterohemorrhagic E. coli group, can be fatal to us. The term "Enterohemorrhgic" means an intestinally related organism that cause' hemorrhaging, which is a loss of blood. We lose water and salts, blood vessels are damaged, and bleeding occurs when affected by this bacteria. This is dangerous to children because the amount of tolerance to blood and fluid loss is minimal, compared with an adult. In severe cases, permanent kidney damage occurs in children who develop HUS (hemolytic uremic syndrome), which is characterized by kidney failure and loss of red blood cells as a result of dehydration. We can pick up the strain anywhere, but the common occupants are animals; anytime we eat, drink, or touch our hands to something that has been near animals, there is a risk of ingesting these bacteria. What a scary thought. Should we just stay in our homes, in a bubble? I have considered this, but what about our bathrooms? This is the royal kingdom, besides our kitchens, in our homes.
Yes, you too, can become a germ-freak, with the help of a book by Allison Janse and Charles Gerbon entitled, "The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu: Guerilla Tactics to Keep Yourself Healthy at Home, at Work, and in the World." This may be a useful tool when fighting off germs, but what exactly are we fighting off?
The air is full of bacteria that are so small you cannot see their exact whereabouts with your naked eye. Bacteria can be found at the highest mountaintops, at the bottom of the deepest oceans, and in your bathroom! Some bacteria like it cool, and some like it hot, depending on the species. For example, species of Aquifex can live in temperatures as hot as 95 degrees Celsius but, this is not the hottest, a species belonging to Kingdom Archea vents at temperature as high as 106 degrees Celsius. Bacteria can even be found on the North and South poles, where the temperature varies between minus 17 and minus 18 degrees Celsius. Tough little monsters, aren't they?
The most common bacteria that we try to avoid is E-Coli, which is the abbreviation for the bacterium in the family Enterobacteriaceae, named Escheririchia (genus name) Coli (species name). About 0.1 percent of the total bacteria within an adult's intestine is represented by E. coli. Not all E. coli is bad; the presence of it and other bacteria in our intestines provide us with necessary vitamins such as vitamin K, and B-complex vitamins that help us operate and remain healthy. Although the good outweighs the bad, many of us have heard of the hamburger meat scares and tragedies associated with a strain of E. coli in meat. This rare strain of E. coli, 0157:H7, a member of the EHEC-Enterohemorrhagic E. coli group, can be fatal to us. The term "Enterohemorrhgic" means an intestinally related organism that cause' hemorrhaging, which is a loss of blood. We lose water and salts, blood vessels are damaged, and bleeding occurs when affected by this bacteria. This is dangerous to children because the amount of tolerance to blood and fluid loss is minimal, compared with an adult. In severe cases, permanent kidney damage occurs in children who develop HUS (hemolytic uremic syndrome), which is characterized by kidney failure and loss of red blood cells as a result of dehydration. We can pick up the strain anywhere, but the common occupants are animals; anytime we eat, drink, or touch our hands to something that has been near animals, there is a risk of ingesting these bacteria. What a scary thought. Should we just stay in our homes, in a bubble? I have considered this, but what about our bathrooms? This is the royal kingdom, besides our kitchens, in our homes.