Farmers and their environment: protective influences of the farming environment against the development of allergies.

Compared with other population groups, the way of life of farmers can be viewed as being similar to that of our ancestors. The settled continuation of generations within certain critical geographical and environmental conditions requires a special local network of knowledge and experience. The immune system provides protection against microbes and their toxins.

Vaccinated students with negative enzyme immunoassay results show positive measles virus-specific antibody levels by immunofluorescence and plaque neutralisation tests.

Background: The prevalence of measles antibodies was investigated by an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in students aged 14 every year since 1996 in a Swiss municipality. This region has wide measles vaccine coverage (first dose > or = 95%, second dose > or = 65%) without any reported measles outbreaks since 20 years. In 2003 and 2004, in contrast to previous years, surprisingly many negative results (33% and 54%, respectively) were observed.

Decline of ambient air pollution levels and improved respiratory health in Swiss children.

The causality of observed associations between air pollution and respiratory health in children is still subject to debate. If reduced air pollution exposure resulted in improved respiratory health of children, this would argue in favor of a causal relation. We investigated whether a rather moderate decline of air pollution levels in the 1990s in Switzerland was associated with a reduction in respiratory symptoms and diseases in school children.