Probiotic Hand Scrub? Antibiotic-free Hospitals? New Ideas to Fight Superbugs

Prof. Mark Spiegelman, specialist in infectious and tropical diseases at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, is advancing some interesting theories to combat nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections such as MRSA.

Spiegelman suggests establishing antibiotic-free hospitals to discourage the progress of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Patients not requiring antibacterial treatments would go to these hospitals.

He also thinks doctors and other hospital staff should add a solution containing probiotic, "friendly" bacteria to their current antibacterial scrubs. Staff would follow their usual germkilling scrub with a second containing probiotic bacteria -- the idea being that the friendly bacteria would colonize the skin, supplanting dangerous microbes.

Read more about Spiegelman's intriguing ideas at Ynetnews.