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Evidence from recent medical research studies suggests an answer of yes, quite possibly. It therefore begs the question; can we maintain a healthy life without microbes?
We spend most of our time attempting to destroy all forms of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, in fear that they will make us sick. Our handwashing is extreme, our clothes cleaning processes blast fabrics with detergent and antiseptic rinses, our lives smell more of artificial products than of human beings. Certainly, there is a place for such zeal, hospitals, and communal spaces being but a couple, but are we lowering our resistance to the more detrimental strains of microbe in our efforts to maintain a sterile world?
Without exposure to harmful lifeforms, our immune systems cannot produce antibodies against a more virulent attack. Some strains of positive microbes actually battle against those dangerous ones in a constant push for more space inside us. This symbiotic relationship is not unique in nature. Many species coexist and thrive as a result of joining forces. Trees will often share nutrients through roots and rhizome networks underground, keeping stumps and sickly vegetation alive. The Portuguese man of war jellyfish is actually a collection of specialised creatures, each with specific roles, from feeding fronds to stinging cells to reproductive organs.