November 10, 2017
Childhood exposure to cats might reduce asthma risk
Some children who grow up in households with cats may be less likely than those in cat-free households to develop asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory problems, according to a study from the Copenhagen Studies on Asthma in Childhood Research Center. Researchers linked the effect to a specific gene variant, and exposure to bacteria, fungi or viruses that cats carry into the home might deactivate the gene, study leader Jakob Stokholm said.
The Telegraph (London) (11/9)