The Conversation

Early exposure to infections doesn't protect against allergies, but getting into nature might

06-02-2020 Author: Emily Johnston Flies, Postdoctoral Research Fellow (U.Tasmania), University of Tasmania

Over the past few decades, allergies and asthma have become common childhood diseases, especially in developed countries. Almost 20% of Australians experience some kind of allergy, whether it’s to food, pollen, dust, housemites, mould or animals.

When people suffer from food allergies, hay fever or asthma, their immune...

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