1. < MAC & Bronchiectasis
Mentor

'PINK SLIME' Data Base

Posted by Terri Martin, Volunteer Mentor @windwalker, Jul 26, 2017

Dear Connect Members,

Remember the poll I started about who has the 'pink slime' AKA Methylobacterium in their bathrooms? I have been in contact with Joseph Falkinham, a NTM reseacher and professor at Virginia Tech. He is very interested in starting a data base for where this particular bacterium is located throughout the U.S. and Canada. I have noted the locales from those of you who have already responded. Am encouraging any others with the pinkish/orange bacteria to report it back here to me. I don't know about you, but I am excited to be a part of important research.
Please include your state and county name when submitting. Thank you in advance for helping with this poll. See e-mail below from Dr. Falkinham - Terri M.

"Dear Terri:

The source of mycobacteria in homes and buildings is the municipal water from a utility. It enters the treatment plant from the source water, usually adhering to soil particulates. The mycobacteria are disinfectant-resistant and are the few survivors of disinfection (e.g., chlorine) and have no competitors that have been killed off.

When that water reaches our homes, the mycobacteria grow in the water heaters and then are circulated throughout the house. We are currently finishing up work showing the impact of the water heater on mycobacterial numbers. Thus, the critical control point for mycobacteria might be the water heater.

I would certainly appreaciate knowing where the "Connect" group has found pink slime. You have given me an idea....I can use the NTM Foundation data base to get an idea of pink slime across the US and Canada.

Best,
Joe"

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.

Chattey2 | @chattey2 | Jul 6, 2019
In reply to @windwalker "@brigby Hi Brenda. Supposedly, if you have the pink bacteria in your bathroom at home, then..." + (show)
@windwalker

@brigby Hi Brenda. Supposedly, if you have the pink bacteria in your bathroom at home, then you do not have avium mycobacterium lurking in your pipes. The pink bacteria outranks the mac variety. This is according to Dr. Joseph Faulkinham who is a microbiologist at Virginia Tech University. I have been collecting statistics on mac patient's occupations too, so I am glad that you mentioned that you are a teacher. I have found that the majority of mac patients have worked as nurses or in the medical field (I would say about 80%). Second to them is teachers. The correlation that I see between the two is that both occupations expose you to many people and their germs year after year. The other correlation I see is that hospitals and schools use commercial cleaning products. It is possible they are creating super bugs.. These are just my observations from reading so many posts here over the years.

Jump to this post

Me too, I worked as an SLP on the school system for 25 yrs

REPLY
1 reply
ginak | @ginak | Jul 7, 2019

I’m not sure if I responded to this thread or not. Sorry if it’s a duplicate response. I used to get that pink stuff in my shower when I lived in Brooklyn, NY, (Marine Park area). I now live in Staten Island, NY and I see it as a ring in my toilet bowl when I come home from vacations. I also worked as a teacher for the NYC Dept of Education for 29 years.
Gina

REPLY
tdrell | @tdrell | Jul 7, 2019

@windwalker and others.....am wondering if the large number of women with MAC and bronchiectasis who worked in either health care or education and are of a certain age are a result of ,,,,,a woman basically had three choices when of a certain era....up til l think the mid seventies.....become a teacher,,,,nurse ...or secretary???tdrell

REPLY
1 reply
migizii | @migizii | Jul 7, 2019
In reply to @tdrell "@windwalker and others.....am wondering if the large number of women with MAC and bronchiectasis who worked..." + (show)
@tdrell

@windwalker and others.....am wondering if the large number of women with MAC and bronchiectasis who worked in either health care or education and are of a certain age are a result of ,,,,,a woman basically had three choices when of a certain era....up til l think the mid seventies.....become a teacher,,,,nurse ...or secretary???tdrell

Jump to this post

I have bronchiectasis and have not contracted MAC as of yet. My occupation is a clinical social worker, but I have been working in a school setting for the past 20 years.

REPLY
papillion | @papillion | Jul 8, 2019
In reply to @chattey2 "Me too, I worked as an SLP on the school system for 25 yrs" + (show)
@chattey2

Me too, I worked as an SLP on the school system for 25 yrs

Jump to this post

Reading posts from us women who worked in a school. I was a aide after 11 years came down with bronchiectasis and MAC. Tried the big three twice so sick. Not on any antibiotics now.

REPLY
scoop | @scoop | May 16, 2023

Reviving older topic with a question: if you have "pink slime" in your place, how easy/difficult is it to remove? I have pink growing at the 90 degree mark where the floor tiles meet the bottom wall tiles in a stall shower (near the floor). It gets a bit better with a bleach treatment and lots of scrubbing but difficult to eradicate. In other words, the pick stuff growing here doesn't simply wipe off. From your experience, is this the "good" type of pink slime?

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.