4 ms·
It's interesting to me that urban living would be included in the hygiene hypothesis. Intuitively, I would expect all the extra contact and travel to increase
by mbg721 6y ago
It's interesting to me that urban living would be included in the hygiene hypothesis. Intuitively, I would expect all the extra contact and travel to increase exposure to microbes, compared to "everyone spends most of their time on their own farm".
- Robotbeat 6y agoDifferent kind of microbes. Human communicable diseases in cities, dirt microbes in farms.
- mc32 6y agoSomeone put forth the example of polio. It was endemic but not epidemic till the rise of cities facilitated transmission.
- cperciva 6y agoPolio is a bit more complicated than that. It's usually harmless in infants; it became a major public health concern only when hygiene resulted in it being contracted later. Epstein-Barr is similar, causing mononucleosis in teenagers but only mild symptoms in children.
- mc32 6y agoThank you for the nuance. We have trade offs we have to consider. Hygiene on balance improves health, but it has unintended consequences which we have to be aware of and need to be addressed.