But our animal bodies evolved to live in the dirt, no? I believe it to be true that babies who grow up with dogs and are exposed to their "dirtiness" actually develop stronger immune systems.
Here's the first study I could find on the topic: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S088915912...
Anyways, not to criticize your hygiene, but I find it interesting how human constructs are often not actually that good for humans.
My mother was a sticker for cleanliness and drummed into us kids from an early age to always wash up properly after handling animals, especially birds. I suppose that's why I was horrified when the dog licked me.
That said, with owning animals there'll always be enough animal 'residue' left in the nearby environs no matter how clean one tries to be. BTW, I also kept white mice and rats when a kid.
Leaving aside hygiene issues, I believe it's important for kids to grow up with animals for many reasons—too many to discuss here.
Evolving while existing on or tolerating dirt is not evolving -to- live in the dirt. It may very well be that some exposure to pathogens is beneficial, and some of that may be conferred by contact with animals (I know daycare does that job for sure), but I will still work to reduce my exposure to it within my home and on my body.
If I recall correctly, properly managing waste (human and otherwise) via sewage and plumbing has been a material contributor to decreased morbidity/mortality rates in the developed world.
https://www.cdc.gov/toxoplasmosis/about/index.html
>Animal to human transmission: accidentally consuming the parasite through contact with cat feces (poop) or contaminated soil that contains Toxoplasma
https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2024/01/e-coli-factor...
https://www.cdc.gov/toxocariasis/about/index.html
>Toxocariasis can spread to people through contact with the feces (poop) of dogs and cats with roundworm. Roundworm eggs are carried in animal feces and can get into peoples' mouths through contaminated dirt or unwashed hands.
There's a million other avenues if you search "disease from animal feces"