开中医馆需要什么本领:公共卫生间里的细菌

我们都知道公共卫生间里有很多细菌，但到底都是哪些种细菌，这些细菌又是从哪儿来的呢？周三发表在《PLoS ONE》杂志（译注：PLoS是公共科学图书馆Public Library of Science的缩写）上的一项研究，利用基因测序技术确定了潜伏在公共卫生间里的细菌的种类及来源。读过这篇文章之后，你肯定会产生去洗手的念头。而且得多洗几遍。

Researchers used high-throughput genetic sequencing to detect bacteria on 10 different surfaces in 12 men's and women's bathrooms on a college campus. Those surfaces included door, toilet and faucet handles, soap dispensers, toilet seats and various areas of the floor. The sequencing process used allows scientists to create up to millions of sequences at the same time.

研究人员使用高通量基因测序技术对一所大学校园内的12间男、女卫生间里的10个不同位置的表面进行了细菌检测。这些位置包括门、马桶、水龙头开关、洗手液盒、马桶座圈和地面的不同区域。研究中使用的测序方法允许科学家们同时测定上百万组基因序列。

Nineteen bacterial phyla were identified. Most belonged to four phyla: Actinobacteria, Bacteriodetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Scientists were able to get an average of 3,340 gene sequences per sample.

经过确认，发现的细菌有19个门类。其中大多数分属四个门类：放线菌门、拟杆菌门、厚壁菌门及变形菌门。科学家们从每份样品中平均获得了3340个基因序列。

Bacteria commonly associated with human skin were found on all surfaces -- not a big surprise, since most of the areas sampled are routinely touched. Other human bacteria, including some linked with the mouth, gut and urine were also found on all surfaces.

从所有被检测的表面上都发现了通常存在于人类皮肤上的细菌——这不算太意外，因为大多数取样的位置都是日常接触到的地方。其它一些人体细菌，包括某些口腔细菌、肠道和尿路细菌也在所有表面上都有检出。

Bacterial communities were grouped into three categories: those found on toilet surfaces, on floors, and on surfaces usually touched by hands. Bacteria associated with the gut were common on toilet surfaces, signifying fecal contamination (and an argument for seat protectors). Bacteria linked to skin were most often found on surfaces people touched with their hands. The floor had the biggest bacteria party, revealing what the authors called "diverse bacterial communities" of organisms, including several typically found in soil.

这些菌落被分成三类：分别在马桶表面、地面和手经常接触的地方发现的细菌。肠道细菌普遍存在于马桶表面，这表明存在着排泄物污染（这是支持使用马桶护垫的理由）。皮肤细菌最常见于人们用手接触的表面。而地面上检出的细菌种类最多，正像作者所称是“形形色色的细菌群落”，包括几种通常存在于土壤中的细菌。

Some toilet flush handles also had bacteria comparable to what was found on the floor. Getting the picture? It suggests some people flush the handles with their feet, a practice, the authors wrote, "well known to germophobes and those who have had the misfortune of using restrooms that are less than sanitary."

一些马桶的冲水把手上也有和在地面上发现的相类似的细菌。知道是怎么回事了吗？这表明有些人用脚拨水箱把手，作者写道，这种做法“是那些害怕细菌的人和使用不干净的卫生间的人所惯常采用的。”

Finding bacteria associated with the gut and female urine at various points in the restrooms may indicate that frequent toilet use distributes those germs around and about. And while on some level we all know that, even if we don't want to admit it ourselves, the authors said this emphasizes the importance of hand washing after using the facilities, since surfaces could transmit human pathogens.

在卫生间的不同位置检测出肠道细菌和女性尿道细菌说明马桶的频繁使用会使这些细菌到处传播。尽管我们不愿承认，也都有所了解，作者指出这种状况突出了便后洗手的重要性，因为人类致病菌会通过物体表面传播。

Those who used the bathrooms tapped for the study might want to take a cue from the research. "Unfortunately," they wrote, "previous studies have documented that college students (who are likely the most frequent users of the studied restrooms) are not always the most diligent of hand-washers."

使用这些被选出来接受检测的卫生间的人们也许愿意从研究中得到一点提示。“不巧的是，”研究人员写道，“过去的研究已经证明了大学生们（最常使用这些卫生间的大概就是他们）并不总是最勤于洗手的人。”

The study was released online today in the journal PLoS ONE.

研究报告今日在网上发表于《PLoS ONE》杂志。