现代社会中，人们普遍追求健康的生活品质。涡流按摩浴也因此成为了众多人喜爱的一种缓解疲劳、放松身心的方式。但美国一项最新研究显示，涡流按摩浴缸可成为有害细菌的孳生地，因此那些按摩浴钟爱者最好对这个问题进行重新考虑。

    据路透社3月2日报道，美国得克萨斯州A&M大学的微生物学家丽塔·莫耶斯博士对43种水样本进行了检测。这些水样本分别取自一些私人涡流按摩浴浴缸以及一些公共涡流按摩浴缸。莫耶斯博士对记者表示：“检测到的所有涡流按摩浴缸都出现了细菌孳生的情况。”

    报道说，在95％的涡流按摩浴缸中，发现了来自于人类粪便残渣中的细菌；在81％的被检测按摩浴缸中，有真菌存在；在34％的按摩浴缸中，甚至还藏匿有潜在的可致命的葡萄球菌。

　　莫耶斯博士还说，一茶匙普通的自来水中平均含有大约138个细菌，而且很多样本还是无菌的；另一方面，一茶匙涡流按摩浴缸中的水中，则平均存在超过200万的细菌。莫耶斯博士指出，未经过滤或未经化学处理的涡流浴缸内管和非持续性热按摩浴缸，是潜在传染性微生物聚集和孳生的主要地方。这些微生物通常会形成一个生物薄膜（一个微生物群），它们共同起作用，对清洁剂具有更大的抵抗能力。

    莫耶斯博士解释说，当涡流喷射开始时，充满了细菌的水流就会进入到按摩浴缸内。由于水的不断运动，一种含有微生物的气雾也会随之产生。这些气雾会携带着细菌进入到沐浴者的肺部或身体其它部位，而这种情况在普通浴缸内是不会发生的。

    报道说，在涡流按摩浴缸内发现的细菌可以导致很多疾病，其中包括泌尿管感染、皮肤感染和肺炎等。因此，老人、孩子以及免疫损害患者应该尽量远离这种按摩浴。
 

    Better think twice before soothing those aching muscles in a whirlpool bath or hot tub. A new study shows that whirlpool bathtubs can be a breeding ground for a host of disease-causing bacteria.

    Dr. Rita B. Moyes a microbiologist at Texas A & M University tested 43 water samples from both private and public whirlpool bathtubs. "Every tub tested had some kind of microbial growth," she told Reuters Health.

    "And I was just getting the few organisms I was testing for, so it is probably just the tip of the iceberg as far as what is really present. Also, I did no viral testing," Moyes emphasized.

    In 95 percent of the tubs, bacteria derived from feces were present, while 81 percent had fungi and 34 percent contained potentially deadly staphylococcus bacteria.

    Moyes explained that a teaspoon of normal tap water contains about 138 bacteria and many samples are bacteria-free. A teaspoon of whirlpool tub water, on the other hand, contains an average of more than 2 million bacteria.

    The interior pipes of whirlpool baths that are not filtered or chemically treated, and non-maintained hot tubs, are prime areas for potentially infectious microbes to congregate and grow, Moyes noted. These organisms often form a biofilm - a community of organisms, which work together and are more resistant to cleaners.

    When the jets are switched on, the bacteria-packed water gets blown into the tub. "Due to the movement of the water, an aerosol is created that carries these organisms down into your lungs or other orifices - something that doesn't happen in a regular tub," Moyes explained.

    The bacteria found in whirlpool baths can lead to a number of diseases, including urinary tract infections, skin infections, and pneumonia.

    So who is most at risk? "Of course the young and the old and the immunocompromised should not be exposed, including breathing in the aerosol from outside the tub," Moyes said.

    "A chemically maintained hot tub should not be a problem to a healthy person but if you are having recurring infections, consider the tub as a potential source," she added. Moyes' research is published in an online journal called PM Engineer.