picture of a dog licking owners hand

[REVEALING STORY] All Dog Lovers are Suffering With Betaproteobacteria and Andactinobacteria

Human microbial communities differ from person to person, with factors such as genetics, nutrition, and age all playing a role. Our microbial community, on the other hand, is likely to be influenced by our surroundings, particularly the people we interact with. We studied the feces, oral, and cutaneous microbiota of 60 households (marriage units with children, dogs and cats) to quantify this microbial interaction.

Other people’s microflora was shared less than that of household members, especially couples, with cutaneous impacts being stronger than oral or fecal microbiota. Dog ownership significantly increased the common skin microbiota of cohabiting adults, and adult dog owners shared more “skin” microbiots with their own dogs than with other dogs.

While it is unclear to what extent these shared bacteria occupy a true vacancy in the human body versus transitory evidence following direct contact, these findings suggest that regular and direct connection with our roommates can assist enhance the nature of our microbial ecosystems.

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