Cleanliness in context: reconciling hygiene with a modern microbial perspective
Abstract The concept of hygiene is rooted in the relationship between cleanliness and the maintenance of good health. Since the widespread acceptance of the germ theory of disease, hygiene has become increasingly conflated with sterilization. In reviewing studies across the hygiene literature (most...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2017-07-01
|
| Series: | Microbiome |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40168-017-0294-2 |
| _version_ | 1811334927891824640 |
|---|---|
| author | Roo Vandegrift Ashley C. Bateman Kyla N. Siemens May Nguyen Hannah E. Wilson Jessica L. Green Kevin G. Van Den Wymelenberg Roxana J. Hickey |
| author_facet | Roo Vandegrift Ashley C. Bateman Kyla N. Siemens May Nguyen Hannah E. Wilson Jessica L. Green Kevin G. Van Den Wymelenberg Roxana J. Hickey |
| author_sort | Roo Vandegrift |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The concept of hygiene is rooted in the relationship between cleanliness and the maintenance of good health. Since the widespread acceptance of the germ theory of disease, hygiene has become increasingly conflated with sterilization. In reviewing studies across the hygiene literature (most often hand hygiene), we found that nearly all studies of hand hygiene utilize bulk reduction in bacterial load as a proxy for reduced transmission of pathogenic organisms. This treatment of hygiene may be insufficient in light of recent microbial ecology research, which has demonstrated that humans have intimate and evolutionarily significant relationships with a diverse assemblage of microorganisms (our microbiota). The human skin is home to a diverse and specific community of microorganisms, which include members that exist across the ecological spectrum from pathogen through commensal to mutualist. Most evidence suggests that the skin microbiota is likely of direct benefit to the host and only rarely exhibits pathogenicity. This complex ecological context suggests that the conception of hygiene as a unilateral reduction or removal of microbes has outlived its usefulness. As such, we suggest the explicit definition of hygiene as “those actions and practices that reduce the spread or transmission of pathogenic microorganisms, and thus reduce the incidence of disease.” |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T17:16:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-749a0f5e39ec4014b1e5753f416ecdad |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2049-2618 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T17:16:31Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbiome |
| spelling | doaj.art-749a0f5e39ec4014b1e5753f416ecdad2022-12-22T02:38:07ZengBMCMicrobiome2049-26182017-07-015111210.1186/s40168-017-0294-2Cleanliness in context: reconciling hygiene with a modern microbial perspectiveRoo Vandegrift0Ashley C. Bateman1Kyla N. Siemens2May Nguyen3Hannah E. Wilson4Jessica L. Green5Kevin G. Van Den Wymelenberg6Roxana J. Hickey7Biology and the Built Environment Center, University of OregonBiology and the Built Environment Center, University of OregonBiology and the Built Environment Center, University of OregonBiology and the Built Environment Center, University of OregonBiology and the Built Environment Center, University of OregonBiology and the Built Environment Center, University of OregonBiology and the Built Environment Center, University of OregonBiology and the Built Environment Center, University of OregonAbstract The concept of hygiene is rooted in the relationship between cleanliness and the maintenance of good health. Since the widespread acceptance of the germ theory of disease, hygiene has become increasingly conflated with sterilization. In reviewing studies across the hygiene literature (most often hand hygiene), we found that nearly all studies of hand hygiene utilize bulk reduction in bacterial load as a proxy for reduced transmission of pathogenic organisms. This treatment of hygiene may be insufficient in light of recent microbial ecology research, which has demonstrated that humans have intimate and evolutionarily significant relationships with a diverse assemblage of microorganisms (our microbiota). The human skin is home to a diverse and specific community of microorganisms, which include members that exist across the ecological spectrum from pathogen through commensal to mutualist. Most evidence suggests that the skin microbiota is likely of direct benefit to the host and only rarely exhibits pathogenicity. This complex ecological context suggests that the conception of hygiene as a unilateral reduction or removal of microbes has outlived its usefulness. As such, we suggest the explicit definition of hygiene as “those actions and practices that reduce the spread or transmission of pathogenic microorganisms, and thus reduce the incidence of disease.”http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40168-017-0294-2HygieneMicrobiotaMicrobiomeSkinMicrobial ecologyHand hygiene |
| spellingShingle | Roo Vandegrift Ashley C. Bateman Kyla N. Siemens May Nguyen Hannah E. Wilson Jessica L. Green Kevin G. Van Den Wymelenberg Roxana J. Hickey Cleanliness in context: reconciling hygiene with a modern microbial perspective Microbiome Hygiene Microbiota Microbiome Skin Microbial ecology Hand hygiene |
| title | Cleanliness in context: reconciling hygiene with a modern microbial perspective |
| title_full | Cleanliness in context: reconciling hygiene with a modern microbial perspective |
| title_fullStr | Cleanliness in context: reconciling hygiene with a modern microbial perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cleanliness in context: reconciling hygiene with a modern microbial perspective |
| title_short | Cleanliness in context: reconciling hygiene with a modern microbial perspective |
| title_sort | cleanliness in context reconciling hygiene with a modern microbial perspective |
| topic | Hygiene Microbiota Microbiome Skin Microbial ecology Hand hygiene |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40168-017-0294-2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT roovandegrift cleanlinessincontextreconcilinghygienewithamodernmicrobialperspective AT ashleycbateman cleanlinessincontextreconcilinghygienewithamodernmicrobialperspective AT kylansiemens cleanlinessincontextreconcilinghygienewithamodernmicrobialperspective AT maynguyen cleanlinessincontextreconcilinghygienewithamodernmicrobialperspective AT hannahewilson cleanlinessincontextreconcilinghygienewithamodernmicrobialperspective AT jessicalgreen cleanlinessincontextreconcilinghygienewithamodernmicrobialperspective AT kevingvandenwymelenberg cleanlinessincontextreconcilinghygienewithamodernmicrobialperspective AT roxanajhickey cleanlinessincontextreconcilinghygienewithamodernmicrobialperspective |