Farm Exposure Shields Children from Asthma and Allergies, Study Finds

An international research team led by Professor Markus Ege of the University Hospital LMU Munich and the Helmholtz Institute for Asthma and Allergy Research identified specific farm‑related bacteria that appear to protect children from asthma, hay fever and other allergic diseases. Analyzing dust samples from mattresses of over a thousand children in rural areas and from farm barns, the scientists isolated nine gram‑positive bacterial species, including Romboutsia timonensis and Glutamicibacter arilaitensis, and linked them to reduced respiratory problems. The study, which used data from the German GABRIELA project and was validated with independent cohorts from France and Finland, also highlighted bacterial metabolites such as kynurenine, xanthine, alpha‑linolenic acid and stearidonic acid as possible mediators. Results were published in the journal NEJM Evidence.