‘Bug’ spray cuts risk of ear infection
By Janet Raloff
Swedish researchers are spearheading a truly counterintuitive approach to heading off recurrent ear infections in youngsters. They’re spraying bacteria into children’s noses.
Roughly 1 in every 20 kids is prone to ear infections, also known as otitis media. From infancy through their toddler years, these children can average six or more bouts annually.
Ironically, the antibiotics used to treat these bacterial infections often wipe out beneficial bacteria that would otherwise compete with, or even kill, the pathogens. By replacing some of the depleted germ-inhibiting bacteria, a researcher at Lundby Hospital in Gothenburg hoped to turn this situation around.