Malassezia – Lurking on Equipment? – QA

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*READERS’ KEYWORD QUESTIONS*

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* Q * can malassezia live on daily equipments *

 

  I believe it can … i know it can!

    And i have the Proof!

 

The Photo below shoes my Bathroom Cabinet  where i store Towels

Pyjamas and Underwear for any emergency needs during the night.

It is fairly New! It has been Milky White and still is brightly so

without any blemishes such as discolouring or scratches etc.

 

         So is … or rather WAS!… the handle! …

 

   Milky white almost indistinguishable from the Cabinet surface

     …until recently!

By recently i am referring to a time mentioned in previous entries here

when having suffered a Rib Fracture and while in pain i had to forego

a lot of my Malassezia maintenance routine and thus started to observe

the signs of its …Orange footprints as shown on second Photo Below.

 

Before i get to that though i want to point out that the Colour of the handle

of the Cabinet is now distinctly …Orange as opposed to its Original White!

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(Poor quality photos due to low MP phone camera but still visible )

   

 

     How did Malassezia’s Orange sticky ‘glow’ got onto the cabinet handle?

   From my hands of course!

           It is the same Orange that accumulated during that time

                      in the water container as shown below

      ( for details see “Humidity”  Entry)

 

 

(Before and After)

        I cannot claim i Know for sure for how long Malassezia 

         at this particular stage can survive and be transferable.

 

Based on observations and patterns i have come to know well

i would say that at this stage while still Yellow, Liquid and Sticky

it can be transferable for a day or two –until it dries out– but

doubt whether left exposed on the equipment for any longer

and without a living host, would be able to continue its cycle

therefore not dangerous unless touched soon while still ‘alive’.

 

                  The one in the Water Container though

-due to the humidity and possibly other invisible elements- 

                          may be a different story!

It is just a ‘feeling’ i have about the difference between the two

because one stays bright orange and looking ‘alive’ for longer

            so i would be weary of touching the wet one…

                The same would apply to kitchen Utensils

               Utensils + humidity + fats  / oils, sugar etc

 

 

The white Gritty / Sand grain shards i Do know they survive much longer

     but harder to ‘stick’ on equipment and possibly even onto the skin

     unless …’greasy’ – making it … easy!…

so  i would be wary of Body Oils and Lotions…

            Should  they fall on Clothing or on the Hair / Scalp etc

            they have a good chance of starting a new infestation

            if a number of conditions are present and favourable.

 

Having said that, cleaning and disinfecting suspected equipment

       would not do any harm unless it becomes obsessive

              and i know for sure – this i know for sure! –

                  would make no discernible difference!

I don’t know if this would adequately answer the Reader’s Question           

but  even the Lab researchers are still trying to answer many of them… 

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