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Antibacterial products may contribute to dangerous superbug crisis, study suggests
A new viewpoint study suggests the use of antibacterial soaps and other cleaning products may contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), potentially posing risks to human and environmental health.
A group of international researchers evaluated the impact of biocides (chemical or biological agents used to control harmful organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and algae) on antimicrobial resistance.
These biocides are added to many common household products, including antibacterial hand soaps, disinfecting wipes, spray cleaners, laundry sanitizers, textiles and personal care products, the researchers noted.
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After analyzing numerous existing studies, the team concluded that the biocides — especially quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and chloroxylenol — can promote antimicrobial resistance. The findings were published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Quaternary ammonium compounds (often called “quats”) are a group of chemicals commonly used as disinfectants, sanitizers and preservatives. Chloroxylenol is an antiseptic and disinfectant chemical used to kill bacteria and some viruses on skin or surfaces.
As bacteria become resistant to these biocides, they can also become resistant to clinical antibiotics, which increases the risk of severe illness, disability or death, the researchers warned.
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“Antibacterial soaps, wipes and sprays can make bacteria harder to kill, even with critical antibiotics, yet they offer no added benefit over plain soap and water for everyday home use,” lead author Rebecca Fuoco, director of science communications at the Green Science Policy Institute and doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University, told Fox News Digital.
“We’re feeding the antibiotic resistance crisis from our own sinks and countertops with products that don’t deliver the protection their marketing suggests.”
The study did have limitations, primarily that it was based on a review of existing studies rather than new experimental data.
“This is a viewpoint that synthesizes the existing body of research, not a clinical study that generates new evidence,” Fuoco admitted. “We still need better data on how household biocides compare to other superbug drivers, like antibiotic overuse in hospitals and agriculture.”
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The research only established an association and did not prove that the products caused AMR. Actual health impacts may vary depending on individual products’ concentration and usage.
The authors recommend that the World Health Organization implement targets to reduce the use of consumer-product biocides in its next Global Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance. They also call on governments to limit antimicrobial ingredients in household products and to promote public awareness.
“Use plain soap and water for everyday handwashing and routine cleaning,” Fuoco recommended. “Reserve disinfectants for when you are cleaning up after someone in your household who has a contagious illness. In those cases, bleach works without the resistance risks.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study but weighed in on the potential risks.
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Millions die every year from antibiotic-induced infections, which are new infections or complications arising from the use of antibiotics that kill beneficial bacteria, allowing for an overgrowth of harmful, resistant bacteria or fungi, the doctor cautioned.
“Benzalkonium chloride is found in a lot of these products – it works as an antiseptic, but has also been linked to bacterial resistance,” Siegel told Fox News Digital.
“Bacteria can swarm, growing in billions of colonies, and the principle of ‘survival of the fittest’ means those that aren’t susceptible to these chemicals are more likely to survive.”
Siegel agreed that there should be less of these chemicals in Americans’ products and environments, not more. “Good old soap and water is still the best cleaner for most things, but is frequently overlooked in cleansers, hand wipes and similar products,” he said.
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In October 2025, the World Health Organization warned that one in every six bacterial infections are resistant to antibiotics.
More than 1 million deaths each year are directly linked to antibiotic resistance, according to a study by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project.
The American Cleaning Institute, based in Washington, D.C., argues that while antimicrobial resistance is a serious global health concern, the newly published research reflects opinion rather than new data. Claims that such products provide “no added health benefit” oversimplify a complex issue, ACI added.
“Public health authorities consistently recognize that the overuse and overprescription of antibiotic drug products in medical care and overuse in agriculture are the primary drivers of antibiotic resistance worldwide,” the organization said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
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“Blanket recommendations to phase out entire categories of consumer products, without regard to their regulated uses and demonstrated benefits, do not advance public health and risk undermining effective hygiene and infection prevention practices.”
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Dave McGinnis, former Cardinals head coach and beloved Titans assistant, dead at 74
Dave McGinnis, a former Arizona Cardinals head coach and Tennessee Titans assistant coach, died on Monday. He was 74.
The Titans announced the death of McGinnis, who died after being hospitalized for an illness in early March. The Titans’ news release said that he passed away at Ascension St. Thomas Midtown Hospital with his family by his side.
“My heart aches with the loss of Coach Mac, who was so much more than a coach and broadcaster – he was family,” Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement.
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Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell also released a statement on McGinnis.
“As Dave often said, he was a ‘ball coach’ through and through, and no one ever filled that role with more passion, enthusiasm and charisma,” Bidwell said. “Coach Mac truly loved the game and everything – and everyone – associated with it, especially his players. He was one of a kind and will be greatly missed.”
McGinnis found himself in an interim head coaching role during the 2000 season with the Cardinals, the team for which he served as defensive coordinator in 1996. He was retained in the head coaching post from 2001-03.
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In 57 career games, McGinnis went 17-40 with the Cardinals, ultimately being fired after a 4-12 season in 2003.
After he was fired, McGinnis landed with the Titans as a linebackers coach under head coach Jeff Fisher. He would become a mainstay in Nashville, holding that role and eventually being promoted to assistant head coach until 2011.
“Coach Mac gave so much of himself to this organization over the years, and his passion, loyalty and love for the Titans never wavered,” Strunk added. “He cared deeply about the people around him, and that kindness and authenticity left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him. He held a very special place in our family, and his presence in our lives and within this franchise will never be forgotten. We will miss him dearly, and we will always be grateful for the legacy he leaves behind.”
McGinnis’s coaching career began in 1973 when he was an assistant with TCU. He also held posts with Indiana State, Missouri and Kansas State until the 1986 season when he broke into the NFL with the Chicago Bears.
McGinnis served as linebackers coach for Chicago from 1986-95 before getting a promotion with the Cardinals. He also held roles with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams before leaving coach after the 2016 campaign.
McGinnis returned to Nashville to join Titans Radio in 2017, where he served as a color announcer for games.
“I love Dave McGinnis, and I don’t know that I’ve met anybody who was created for football, and a football life, more than Coach Mac,” said Burke Nihill, president and CEO of the Titans. “He just loved the game. Obviously, he played it for a long time and coached it for longer, and with everything he has done for us over the years as color commentator and a Titans personality. He lived such a special football life. He was such a special guy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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US military kills 2 suspected cartel operatives in latest Eastern Pacific lethal strike, SOUTHCOM says
The U.S. military carried out another lethal strike targeting suspected cartel operatives in the Eastern Pacific on Monday, killing two individuals believed to be involved in narcotics trafficking, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
“Applying total systemic friction on the cartels,” SOUTHCOM said in a post on X. “On April 13, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the post continued. “Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed.”
The strike comes two days after SOUTHCOM conducted similar operations against two other suspected vessels operated by designated groups.
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Officials said intelligence confirmed those vessels were traveling along known drug trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were actively engaged in narcotics operations.
Two men were killed in the first strike and three in the second, while one individual survived the initial attack.
SOUTHCOM said it immediately called on the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct search and rescue operations for the lone survivor. No U.S. forces were injured in either operation.
The operations are part of a broader U.S. military effort to disrupt cartel-linked trafficking networks at sea, with officials increasingly describing such groups using terrorism-related designations.
The strikes were carried out under Joint Task Force Southern Spear, an ongoing mission focused on targeting transnational criminal organizations operating along key maritime drug routes in the region.
The Eastern Pacific remains a major corridor for narcotics trafficking, where cartels frequently rely on small, fast-moving vessels to transport drugs north toward the U.S. and Central America.
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The use of the term “Designated Terrorist Organizations” reflects a more aggressive posture by the Trump administration, which has expanded the use of military force against suspected narcotics traffickers beyond traditional law enforcement approaches.
SOUTHCOM has not released additional details about the identities of those killed or the specific groups involved.
The command is responsible for military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks that threaten U.S. interests.
The U.S. has carried out dozens of strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in recent months as part of a broader campaign to dismantle cartel-linked trafficking operations and increase pressure on transnational criminal organizations.
Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
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Los Angeles hotel industry ‘struggling’ under wage mandate signed by Mayor Karen Bass, new survey finds
Hotels in Los Angeles, California are struggling, a new report from industry researchers claimed in a new report.
“Hotels are struggling to keep up with rising operating costs coupled with falling demand,” the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) researchers said last week.
According to AHLA, the city’s minimum wage mandate and other policies led to increased “costs without flexibility to reflect market conditions and demand levels.”
A phased-in minimum wage hike in Los Angeles mandated up to $30 per hour for airport and hotel workers. The law was signed into law last year by Mayor Karen Bass, mandating that their hourly wage must be raised by $2.50 each year until they reach $30 in 2028.
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The AHLA is the largest hotel association in America, representing more than 30,000 members from all segments of the industry nationwide. Its methodology stated it was a “member survey of Los Angeles hotel operators and owners” that featured “16 questions in multiple-choice, select-all-that-apply, and ranking formats.”
The report claimed that the policies led to reduced hiring and cuts in labor hours. Other issues that arose included delayed or canceled hotel investment and development, reduced airline operations and restaurant closures.
“The report finds that hotels across Los Angeles are facing increasing financial and operational pressure as rising labor and operating costs outpace revenue growth, noting that development is slowing, investment is shifting to other markets, and some hotels have closed or delayed expansion plans,” the report stated.
The report found that none of the members believe Los Angeles is a favorable environment to make investments and 80% said that the city is not a good place for long-term hotel investment. Almost all the members surveyed said that rolling back the regulations would make the city’s market more attractive.
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AHLA said that hotels are the backbone of Los Angeles’ tourism economy, investing millions of dollars in the city every year.
“Los Angeles hotels generate $12.5 billion in annual economic activity, support nearly 64,000 jobs, and produce more than $1.1 billion in state and local tax revenue that funds essential public services,” according to the report.
This isn’t the first time the AHLA has released a report showing adverse effects of the minimum wage mandate after Bass signed it into law. The AHLA previously commissioned another study that found hotels have eliminated or expect to eliminate 6% of positions, roughly 650 jobs, since the Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance took effect in September.
The Los Angeles City Council and Mayor Bass’ office did not respond to Fox News Digital‘s requests for comment.
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