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This makes sense, since over 58 million Americans have some form of allergies or autoimmune disease (Merritt, 2006). This has been supported by the levels of different types of antibodies found when comparing laboratory rats and mice to those trapped in the wild (Devalapalli et al., 2006). While exposure to fewer microbes in childhood may cause higher levels of allergies, it is also related to positive benefits such as reduced infant mortality and increased longevity (Wills-Karp, Santeliz, &. Karp, 2001). Therefore, while reduced exposure to microbes could in fact lead to increased incidence of allergies and auto-immune diseases, as shown by the hygiene hypothesis and the immune responses of laboratory rodents, there is still clear benefit to living in a society that values hygiene. References Devalapalli, A. P., Lesher, A., Shieh, K., Solow, J. S., Everett, M. L., Edala, A. S., . . . Parker, W. (2006). Increased Levels of IgE and Autoreactive, Polyreactive IgG in Wild Rodents: Implications for the Hygiene Hypothesis. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, 64(2), 125-136. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2006.01785.x Merritt, R. (2006, 16 Jun).
