Tuberculosis positive children suffer less from allergies. So says pediatrician Charlie Obihara in his PhD-thesis. His findings substantiate the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ which states that allergies like asthma, hay fever, and eczema, increase when children encounter less infectious diseases during their lifetime.
The hypothesis explains the dramatic increase in allergies in the West. The other way round, infections with tuberculosis bacteria and parasites like worms trigger the immune system to the effect it doesn’t overreact to harmless substances. Obihara therefore suggests a vaccin against allergies to be developed based on the tuberculosis bacterium.
Obihara conducted his research in South Africa. He found children infected with tuberculosis to be less allergic compared to infection free children. Also, the more positive the Mantoux test outcome (indicating tuberculosis infection), the less allergic children are.
Breast feeding also prevents allergy development, Obihara concludes. Children receiving breast feeding for over six months showed less allergies than children who received breast feeding for a shorter period of time.
Thesis: “Infection with M. tuberculosis and atopy in children”
PhD-advisor 1: Prof. dr. J.L.L. Kimpen
PhD-advisor 2: Prof. dr. N. Beyers