No – not all dogs are good for your microbiome … 

Epidemiological and other studies have shown that, on average, having a dog is correlated to some possible health benefits (e.g., see this).  And some studies have further suggested that this might be connected to “the microbiome” in that having a dog might change the microbiome of one’s surroundings and that this in turn might contribute …

Dusty Houses and Type 1 Diabetes

Among the cleanest and wealthiest countries in the world, Finland has the highest rate of Type 1 diabetes, while other messier and poorer countries have much lower rates. A recent article in the Washington Post discusses ongoing research to explore how exposure to dust and bacteria in houses might contribute to the onset of Type …

Dog hair and asthma

One aspect of life with dogs is that my house and clothing tend be coated in a layer of hair. However, a recent study by Fujimura et al. indicates that the dust in houses with dogs may confer protection from airway allergens and respiratory infection compared to houses with no pets. Fujimura et al. exposed …

Paper of interest: Microbiology of asthma

Very useful review paper came out this week discussing the microbiology of asthma.  Thanks to David Thaler for pointing this one out.  The review discusses the role of microbes in both the development and prevention of asthma.  While not explicitly concerned with the built environment, the “hygiene hypothesis” has obvious implications for the indoor microbiome.