SCIENCE BRIEFING
Times Staff and Wire Reports
Could lice be the secret to preventing asthma?
Research on mice shows that those carrying the most lice had calmer immune systems than uninfested rodents.
The finding may have implications for studying the causes of asthma and allergies in people.
The study, published in the BioMed Central journal BMC Biology, adds to evidence supporting the so-called hygiene hypothesis, which holds that the rise in asthma and allergies can be linked to hyper-clean living.
It was conducted by Joseph Jackson of Britain’s University of Nottingham and colleagues, who trapped wild mice and tested the immune systems of those infested or uninfested with the louse Polyplax serrata.
