Stuart Levy, a microbiologist at Tufts University of Medicine in Boston, teamed with colleague Bonnie Marshall had a hypothesis that musical instruments held bacteria. To test their thoughts they tested twenty played instruments for any bacteria remains in the mouth pieces. They found that musical instruments can be the home to disease causing microbes deposited in silva. They said that the use of instruments in school risks the spreading of infections. In another experiment, Levy and Marshall applied infectious diseases into reeds and other woodwind instruments; the staph and strep bacteria microbes lasted on the reeds for several days. Other microbes lasted one to two days.
I think this is shocking. Of course you know theirs spit involved in band, but speaking from a former school band student you don't necessarily think about infectious bacteria's while playing. Knowing that the bacteria stays on the reeds and instruments for days is gross. It makes me wonder how many times people cleaned their instruments. This news is very insightful and a good reminder to clean up, everything. Especially your band instruments.
-Holley Hurst :)
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