Junk Science: Antibacterial Scare

Junk Science: Antibacterial Scare

FOXNews.com - Views - Junk Science - Antibacterial Reports Cause Public Health Scare

The products, after all, are called anti-b-a-c-t-e-r-i-a-l-s. They work on b-a-c-t-e-r-i-a ? not viruses. Antibacterial products are designed and marketed for, and can only reduce the risk of, illness from bacteria, not from viruses.

The researchers, in fact, admitted (in the fine print) that their study “did not preclude the potential contribution of these products to reducing symptoms of bacterial diseases in the home.”

Moreover, the study didn’t really prove that antibacterials don’t reduce the overall incidence of infectious disease. The number of households included in the study was small. The researchers aren’t sure that the antibacterial products were used regularly or correctly. The researchers don’t know the causes or sources of the reported illnesses. One can, after all, contract an infectious disease outside the home. . . .

Larson stated on the program that the purpose of her research ? the first of its kind ? was two-fold: “Do those who have used anti-bacterial products have less of a risk of infectious disease than those who don’t?" and “Do those who use an anti-bacterial product on their skin have the emergence of [bacteria more resistant] to something like Triclosan (the active ingredient in most antibacterials)?"

The good news ? not reported by the media or Larson herself ? is that the study produced no evidence that antibacterial products are producing bacteria that are resistant to Triclosan or antibiotic drugs.