Posted 3/6/2013 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
An article from Emerging Infections Diseases was reported in Medscape News. Sorry, you need a password to read that article. I found another article at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/18/10/12-0164-f1.htm
From the Medscape article:
"Symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) often persist despite treatment. Because nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are resistant to commonly used antimicrobial drugs and are found in drinking water that patients may use for sinus irrigation,"
"NTM were isolated from water, biofilm, or filter samples from at least 1 sample from 5 (63%) of the 8 households sampled and from 35 (40%) of the 80 samples"
"CRS patients should avoid sinus irrigation with unsterilized tap water."
In the directions with rinse bottles it says to use distilled water or water that has been boiled and cooled. It also says to wash the bottle with a little dish detergent and water. My question is should we use only distilled water to wash the bottles? Is there enough remaining NTM in the bottle from washing with tap water to infect us, or will the detergent and drying kill it?