Occupational exposure to zoonotic agents among agricultural workers in Lombardy Region, northern Italy.

Objectives: This study was conducted in Northern Italy with the aim of defining the risk of agricultural workers' contact with biological agents through the determination of serum antibodies against selected zoonotic agents. Immunity against tetanus was also investigated.

Methods: Two groups of agricultural workers consisting of 153 animal breeders (exposed) and 46 non- breeders (controls) were included in the study.

[Biological agents in animal breeding: an ancient but still relevant risk].

Agricultural activities expose workers to biological risk, due to the close contact that could occur with pathogens' reservoirs, such as soil, animals, manure and animal products. The paper describes factors that have contributed on the reduction or eradication of zoonoses, such as brucellosis, salmonellosis and bovine tuberculosis (monitoring and prevention of animal infectious diseases, industrialization and mechanization of agricultural activities), and on the other hand the emergence of new risks and new diseases (adaptability of microorganisms, generation of new strains, antibiotic resistance, dissemination of vectors). The role of Occupational Medicine in the prevention of zoonoses is discussed.

Emerging zoonoses: the "one health approach".

Zoonoses represent a public health risk recently pointed out by the spreading of previously unknown human infectious diseases emerging from animal reservoirs such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and avian influenza caused by H5N1-virus. These outbreaks have shown that animal breeding activities can pose a significant public health risk. Until now, the risk of zoonoses has probably been underestimated, particularly in occupational settings.

Immune changes in animal breeders: a pilot study conducted in northern Italy.

Objective: Farming is associated with exposure to a wide variety of risk factors including organic dusts, endotoxins, allergens and other chemicals. The ability of some of these agents to interact with the immune system is demonstrated in the presented study which was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between pig and cow breeding, and the immune system early changes. Particular attention is paid to selected serum cytokines.

Farmers' exposure to herbicides in North Italy: assessment under real-life conditions in small-size rice and corn farms.

Although rice and corn are two main cash crops in Lombardy (North Italy) and their cultivation involves several thousands of farmers, risk assessment of pesticide exposure is rarely done, especially in small and medium sized enterprises. With the use of pads for environmental monitoring (OECD protocol), of pre- and post-exposure 24h urine collection for biological monitoring and of hand wash for hands' exposure, we measured the exposure of 28 agricultural workers to propanil and terbuthylazine in real-life working conditions. In propanil applicators, median daily exposure on the clothes was 73.