One kiss can transfer 80 million bacteria between mouths

One kiss can transfer 80 million bacteria between mouths
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The night sky is perfect, the air is crisp, and no one's around. It's time to end your date with a kiss, right? Sure — if you're comfortable swapping 80 million bacteria with those lips, too.

According to a study published Monday in the journal Microbiome, one open-mouth kiss can transfer 80 million bacteria between mouths. Study author Remco Kort tested the bacteria content of 21 couples in the Netherlands before and after a 10-second French kiss and found, quite romantically, "the bacteria on the tongues of couples was much more similar than the oral bacteria of two strangers."

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Kimberly Alters

Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.