Get down and - atchoo! - dirty

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

A new study on rodents suggests that our own good hygiene may be at fault for the broad range of allergies we suffer from, saying that early exposure to potential allergens can allow our body to easily adapt to them.

 

The study collected rats from the wild and from a laboratory and compared levels of an antibody in their bloodstream. The wild rodents had much higher levels of a particular antibody that is produced in response to foreign particles, and the researchers believe high levels of this antibody may prevent chronic overreaction when exposed to the particles (allergies).

 

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn9357