Health experts have known for years that kids who grow up on a farm have fewer incidences of allergies and asthma than city kids. Now they might finally know why. And that bit of information might be the clue they need to develop a vaccine for asthma and better treatment strategies for allergies.

Researchers at two Belgian universities recently collaborated on a study that looked at the relationship between farm living and asthma and allergies. They found that a bacteria detected in farm dust might initiate an immune system response that reduces the body’s reaction to allergens and asthmatic triggers. Read more.