I guess anyone can carry bacteria in general. Staph lives on our skin. Psuedamonas is found in dirt, moldy areas and lots of other areas. Someone on here posted in the past that B.cepacia is what rots onions. So, bacteria is all around us. And, in most cases is symbiotic and necessary for life.
I think the bigger danger is not that the non-CF child will carry bacteria home, as everyone does that every day. But, that the non-CF child will carry viral infections that can infect the CFer. When viral infections interfer with the already impaired clearance abilities of the CF lungs, then the bacteria can get in there and really go to town, far more than non CFers.
We've got 7 kids and only one with CF. No one has caused M to colonize any new bacteria than that which he came home with. But, he and the toddler have spent all fall passing constant colds back and forth. Everytime he gets a cold, his Psuedamonas grows in the increased and thicker mucous and we end up battling another overgrowth of the PA. Toddler gets over the cold and is fine. M gets another PA flare-up and ends up back on antibiotics.
So, I've been working to keep both of them from bringing the viral infections home with them. Haven't had a cold in the house in the 4-6 weeks since I changed my tactics. But, I had to focus on both of the nose pickers (M and toddler sister) and not merely one of them.
AFA the other kids, they have instructions that if they spot rotting onions they are to throw them away and wash their hands. I'm doing stuff to boost their immune systems to prevent them from getting viral infections that could be spread to M. But, beyond that I'm not really concerned about them carrying bacterial infections to M. If they develop a bacteria infection that is attacking them, then they need their own treatment. But, they are healthy and normal kids almost none of them have ever required antibiotics in their lives, so I doubt they have anything that is a danger to M as far as bacteria goes.
