Dog owners and their canine counterparts share more than just love, living space and the occasional bite of food. It turns out they share quite a bit of bacteria, too. A report published in the journal eLIFE by authors including University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering assistant professor Dan Knights, Ph.D., found dog owners retain much of the bacteria, fungi and viruses that dogs carry on their tongues and paws. The report also found housemates alter and retain each other’s microbial character. Because microbes are left behind on the surfaces we interact with daily – in the case of our furry friends, perhaps on the surfaces we licked – it makes sense that those physically near us share similar microbial traits. This sharing, however, goes more than skin deep. Crossover bacteria are woven into a person’s fingerprint-unique bacterial blueprint, known as the microbiome. The result can shape who we are, the illnesses and allergies we develop, and the body’s defenses. “You find microbes present in dog owners, acquired from the dogs, that humans wouldn’t otherwise have,” said Timothy Johnson, Ph.D., a University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine expert who studies microbial communities in both animals and humans. “It’s all part of that home’s ecosystem.” Researchers from various parts of the world are investigating the potential benefits (and detriments) of exposure to pets, farm animals and their respective microbes. The New York Times and NPR offer a sampling of ongoing research into the animal impact on human allergies and autoimmune disorders like Type 1 diabetes and Celiac disease. It’s hypothesized that many benefits of the interspecies (and interpersonal) germ-share are yet to be discovered. Scientists do know that canine companions are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, a likely lower risk of developing allergies and asthma, and stress-relief opportunities. Society also knows the downside of sharing the wrong kind of bacteria, fungi and viruses between species and people. Ebola’s fruit-bat beginnings, Colorado’s prairie dog plague, and
salmonella from chickens are all examples of zoonosis, or shared microbes gone wrong. As part of the effort to understand what microbe-sharing means, Johnson and colleagues are investigating how food borne pathogens like E. coli and salmonella get to humans from food animals like turkey and chicken. Research out of their lab previously found that E. coli causing human urinary tract infections can be transmitted between dogs and humans. “This reality is that we often separate veterinary medicine from human medicine. We talk about the animal condition and the human condition. But there isn’t always a distinction between animal and human bacteria. The microbiome is a great example of that. There is constant sharing and overlap between the two,” said Johnson. “We are beginning to realize that microbe sharing is necessary for human function.” And that includes both the good germs and the bad. Interested in this topic? Check out a previous Health Talk blog post on the similarities between dog and human allergies here.
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