To meet consumer demands, livestock producers house hundreds
(sometimes thousands) of animals in a facility. This practice generates health
concerns because fecal waste can releases harmful contaminants into the environment.
While most studies concentrate on water contamination near
confinement facilities, this research studies microbes in the air inside
animal confinement buildings. The samples tested revealed the presence of several
types of bacteria. The kind and amount of bacteria present varied by the kind of
animal confined. Additionally, results detected antibiotic-resistant genes.
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| Figure from Hong et al showing the percentage of occurrence for bacteria between confinement groups. The first two columns correspond to poultry; the next four columns depict pig developmental stages; and the last column shows the control group. |
Finding potentially harmful bacteria is alarming, especially
when handling food products; therefore, this study emphasizes the need for additional
research regarding the fate of these bacteria. A better understanding of the
microbial community present in confinement buildings will allow for new safety
practices that will prevent health hazards to livestock and humans.
Original article: Hong PY, Li X, Yang X, Shinkai T, Zhang Y,
Wang Z, Mackie RI. (2012). Monitoring airborne biotic contaminants in the
indoor environment of pig and poultry confinement buildings. Environ Microbiol.
14(6): 1420-1431.
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