Every day we live with thousands of species of microbes that influence our health and that of our family in one way or another. In fact, for every cell in our body there are nine bacteria, so imagine the amount of microscopic living things that interact in our body.
The most curious thing is that, as the American microbiologist Jack Gilbert points out, that invisible parallel world that marks our lives does not end in oneself. Each family has its own world of bacteria. Even if we move from home, each family also takes their bacteria with them.
The microbiologist studied together with his team to seven families from three different states of the United States for six weeks. In total 15 adults, three children, three dogs and a cat participated, from whom samples were taken with sterilized cotton buds. They were taken from the inside of his nose, from his hands and from his heels, and also from parts of the house such as the handle of the main entrance of his house, the knob of the bathroom door, the bedroom floor and the countertop and The kitchen switch.
They found that each home has a characteristic microscopic fauna. And that when a family moves from home, it also takes its "aura" of bacteria. In a single day the new home has the same microbial flora as the old one.
The family's own combination of bacteria is unique and unrepeatable. By taking a sample of bacteria from the floor of a house you can determine which family they belong to.
Bacteria are necessary, they are part of our life and many of them are essential for our health. We know, for example, that the lack of some bacteria can influence our propensity to develop asthma and food allergies.
Therefore, it is not necessary to maintain an exaggerated cleaning, since excessive hygiene can be harmful to keep safe the world of bacteria of each family. Curious, right?
