Sharing more than our homes and lives

When there’s talk of diseases shared by people and animals, the focus is usually on diseases that are transferred from animals to people.  However, they can go the other way, too.  In fact, researchers in the U.K. have found evidence that the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus actually jumped from people to chickens about 38 years ago.  As a result, the bacteria has become a common infection in chickens and can cause severe lameness.

We share our planet with the animals, and a consequence of this is sharing our bugs, too.

Read the story in the Times Online.