You expect a hot shower to be potentially the cleanest place in your home, but it could be putting your health  at risk. Your bathroom may be breeding dangerous bacteria, and doctors say this “shower sickness” known as nontuberculous mycobacteria – or “NTM” – starts when you turn on the water. “They are small bacteria , they cause disease in humans,” said Dr. Joe Falkinham, a professor of biological sciences at Virginia Tech. “Pulmonary disease.” You don’t just contract this illness from the shower – it can come from any water. “Humans are surrounded by these organisms,” Falkinham said. As household water became cleaner, most bacteria were killed off. But NTM bacteria are extremely resilient and now more and more people are becoming sick as the bacteria silently destroys lung tissue. “We’ve had 400 patients, 400 different patients with [NTM],” said pulmonologist Dr. David Kamelhar. However, most healthy people are not susceptible to the bacteria, Kamelhar said. Oddly, women are more at risk, as are those with a history of lung and bronchial problems. The elderly and people with compromised immune systems are also more at risk. Dr. Falkinham said simply taking off any shower head will reveal the source of some of the trouble. - NEW YORK (CBS NewYork)

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