A musical note on germs

Parents send their children off to learn a musical instrument with all good intentions of broadening their offspring’s horizons and perhaps even expanding their intellectual capacities into the bargain. Having the little darlings occupied for an hour may perhaps play a small part in parental calculations. Whatever their motivation though, no parent would intentionally expose their child to germs but it seems that certain musical instruments may be doing just that.

In an ideal world each child who wants to learn the flute, clarinet, or saxophone would be presented with an instrument by a benevolent government department named along the lines of “The Department for Broadened Minds and a Better World”. Alas, no such beast exists in reality or aspiration. So in many cases the would-be flautist will end up using a shared instrument and that is where it gets scary.

This new study was aimed at seeing whether germs that cause sickness can live in woodwind instruments. In the first part of their study the researchers examined samples taken from clarinets, flutes, and saxophones. They found bacteria and mould on all instruments.

Their next step was to use an air pump to simulate playing and infect the instruments with E. coli, Staphylococcus, and a deactivated strain of tuberculosis bacteria. The E coli and Staphylococcus bacteria lived happily on the instruments for up to three days and the tuberculosis bacteria lived for up to thirteen days. The study did not focus on moulds but the researchers noted that disease causing moulds were likely to survive as well.

According to the researchers there is anecdotal evidence that people who play wind instruments have recurring sore throats and inflammation of the airways. It might even be a person could be reinfecting themselves with bacteria or moulds.

To prevent this the researchers suggest that after use instruments should be disassembled and cleaned using alcohol wipes, soap and water, or a disinfectant. They also say that swab pull-throughs should be microwaved after use to minimise germ growth while stored in instrument cases.

All of which is a touch scary and suggests that perhaps we should rename it the “cold and flute” season.

Source: Environmental Science and TechnologyMeanwhile if you visit Meijer Ad that contains mostly likewise discounts with Winn Dixie Ad you surely have a range like ALDI Ad.