Wildfire Smoke Alters Immune System, Study Says

TUESDAY, July 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) —Exposure to wildfire smoke might make some people more likely to fall ill by altering their immune systems, a new study says.

Fire smoke appears to affect the immune system on a cellular level, researchers report in the journal Nature Medicine.

People exposed to smoke showed an increase in memory immune cells that provide long-term immunity and biomarkers of increased inflammation and immune activity, results show.

They also showed changes in dozens of genes related to allergies and asthma, researchers said.