Cohabitating people share about a quarter of their gut and oral microbiota

People who live together share more oral and gut microbes with each other than with other people in their communities, according to a study published June 15, 2026, in the Cell Press journal Cell Press Blue. This was true regardless of the cohabitants’ relationships—siblings, parents, and offspring all shared similar numbers of microbial strains, and romantic partners shared even more oral (but not gut) microbes with each other, likely due to kissing. The research, covered in NPR, Gizmodo, and IFLScience, also found a link between more transmissible microbes and health, particularly type 2 diabetes. The findings could help design more targeted therapies for improving people’s microbiomes.  

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