Singapore: Peanut allergy is one of the most dreaded forms of allergies across the globe. It is recognized as some of the most severe forms of allergies that can result in fatal anaphylactic shock. More than 15 million Americans are currently living with this allergy.

Scientists in Australia have conducted a study in which the children were given probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus with a peanut protein, and after a short while, many of the children appeared to be cured of their peanut allergies.

For the study, the team from the Murdoch Children Research Institute in Melbourne gathered a group of 60 children under the age of 10 with peanut allergies. The children received a placebo along with a peanut protein. At the end of the trial, researchers found that 80 percent of the children, who had taken the oral immunotherapy treatment, could eat peanuts without any reaction.

The study was published in the Journal for Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The authors sad that further tests were needed to identify the period of tolerance to peanuts. "These findings provide the first vital step towards developing a cure for peanut allergy and possibly other food allergies," said lead author Ms Mimi Tang.