Risks caused by bio-aerosols in
poultry houses
J. Hartung and J. Schulz
Institute of Animal Hygiene, Welfare and Behaviour of Farm
Animals, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover,
Bünteweg 17p, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
E-mail: itt@tiho-hannover.de
SUMMARY
Aerial pollutants in confined animal houses are widely recognized
as detrimental to the
respiratory health of animals kept in these facilities. Primary
and opportunistic microbial
pathogens may directly cause infectious and allergic diseases in
farm animals, and chronic
exposure to some types of aerial pollutants may exacerbate
multi-factorial environmental
diseases. There are, however, few international field surveys
paying attention to the health
of the farmers and the farm personnel working in such atmospheres,
and to the spread of
pathogens from farm buildings. Studies reveal that up to 20
percent of farmers and farm
workers report work-related symptoms of respiratory affections,
such as coughing, sputum
and wheezing. Some develop asthma, others develop diseases that
are described as ODTS
(organic dust toxic syndrome). There are indications that various
pathogens can survive in
ambient air for several minutes and can be distributed over long
distances, (e.g. foot-andmouth
disease (FMD) virus more than 50 km, and staphylococcae up to 500
m).
This paper describes the complex nature and composition of the
aerial pollutants, such
as gases, dust, micro-organisms and other compounds, present in
the air of farm animal
houses, their potential role in the development of respiratory
diseases in humans and animals,
and their distribution in the surroundings of farms.
Future-oriented sustainable farm
animal production should (in addition to improving animal welfare,
consumer protection,
economy and occupational health) enhance standards aimed at
preventing or reducing the
aerial spread of pathogens.
Key words: air pollutants, bio-aerosols, poultry farming, disease
transmission, occupational
health,
dust, gases, bacteria
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