Evaluation of face shields used during aerosol generating procedures.

Transnasal flexible laryngoscopy is considered an aerosol generating procedure. A negative pressure face shield (NPFS) was developed to control aerosol from the patient during laryngoscopy. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the NPFS at controlling virus aerosol compared to a standard disposable plastic face shield.

Comparison of virus aerosol concentrations across a face shield worn on a healthcare personnel during a simulated patient cough.

Background: Patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) aerosolize severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) via respiratory efforts, expose, and possibly infect healthcare personnel (HCP). To prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 HCP have been required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) during patient care. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, face shields were used as an approach to control HCP exposure to SARS-CoV-2, including eye protection.

Self-reported respiratory health symptoms and respiratory protection behaviors of young adult hog producers in the United States.

Introduction And Methods: In this study, we evaluated self-reported respiratory symptoms during agricultural work, respiratory protection use and experience, and perceived value of receiving respirators using Gear Up for Ag Health and Safety Program™ pre- and post-surveys from 703 to 212 young adult hog producers in the United States. To our knowledge, this is one of the most extensive survey data sets on self-reported respiratory symptoms and respiratory protection behaviors of collegiate-aged young adults working in US livestock production.

Results: About one-third (37%) of young adult hog producers stated that they have experienced cough, shortness of breath, fever, and chills after working in dusty areas on the farm.

Development of Shortened Enrichment Methods for Detection of Typhimurium Spiked in Milk.

Rapid and accurate testing of pathogenic in dairy products could reduce the risk of exposure to the bacterial pathogens for consumers. This study aimed to reduce the assessment time needed for enteric bacteria recovery and quantification in food using the natural growth properties of Typhimurium ( Typhimurium) in cow's milk and efficiently using rapid PCR methods. Over 5 h of 37 °C enrichment, culture and PCR methods measured increases in the non-heat-treated Typhimurium concentration at similar rates, with an average increase of 2.

Urban Particulate Matter Impairment of Airway Surface Liquid-Mediated Coronavirus Inactivation.

Air pollution particulate matter (PM) is associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity, although mechanistic studies are lacking. We tested whether airway surface liquid (ASL) from primary human airway epithelial cells is antiviral against SARS-CoV-2 and human alphacoronavirus 229E (CoV-229E) (responsible for common colds), and whether PM (urban, indoor air pollution [IAP], volcanic ash) affected ASL antiviral activity. ASL inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and CoV-229E.

OSHA Voluntary Respirator Use: Challenges incurred with use of N95 filtering facepiece respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article discusses several lessons learned in dealing with the interpretation of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Use provision of the Respiratory Health Standard at health-care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. This includes (but is not limited to) (a) confusion about OSHA policy and procedures when health-care workers brought outside personal protective equipment (PPE; N95 filtering facepiece respirators) into the workplace; (b) challenges in adhering to guidelines stated in Appendix D of the Respiratory Protection Standard; (c) difficulty in achieving respirator fit testing for workers; and (d) vague or inconsistent determination of "non-hazardous" environments (concerning COVID-laden droplets and aerosols). The purpose was to identify gaps in knowledge to help policy makers, enforcement personnel, safety managers, and health-care workers in the United States prepare for similar future events involving PPE shortages.

Bioaerosols generated from toilet flushing in rooms of patients with infection.

Background: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the most frequently reported hospital-acquired infection in the United States. Bioaerosols generated during toilet flushing are a possible mechanism for the spread of this pathogen in clinical settings.

Objective: To measure the bioaerosol concentration from toilets of patients with CDI before and after flushing.

Reliability of observational- and machine-based teat hygiene scoring methodologies.

Removal of teat-end debris is one of the most critical steps in the premilking process. We aimed to estimate inter- and intra-rater reliability of an observation-based rating scale of dairy parlor worker teat-cleaning performance. A nonrandom sample of 8 experienced raters provided teat swab debris ratings scored on a 4-point ordinal visual scale for 175 teat swab images taken immediately after teat cleaning and before milking unit attachment.

Bioaerosol concentrations generated from toilet flushing in a hospital-based patient care setting.

Background: In the United States, 1.7 million immunocompromised patients contract a healthcare-associated infection, annually. These infections increase morbidity, mortality and costs of care.

Pulmonary function and airway inflammation among dairy parlor workers after exposure to inhalable aerosols.

Background: Inhalation exposure to organic dust causes lung inflammation among agricultural workers. Due to changes in production and work organization, task-based inhalation exposure data, including novel lung inflammation biomarkers, will inform exposure recommendations for dairy farm workers.

Methods: Linear regression was used to estimate the associations of airborne exposure to dust concentration, endotoxin, and muramic acid with pulmonary outcomes (i.

Full-shift and task-specific upper extremity muscle activity among US large-herd dairy parlour workers.

US large-herd dairy parlour workers experience a high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the upper extremity. The purpose of this study was to estimate and compare full-shift and task-specific muscle activity of the upper extremity among parlour workers. Surface electromyography data were recorded continuously throughout a full work shift for each participant (n = 60).

Effect of a novel teat preparation system on upper extremity muscle activity among U.S. large-herd dairy parlor workers.

Background: Dairy production in the U.S. is moving towards large-herd milking operations resulting in an increase in task specialization and work demands.

High throughput genomic sequencing of bioaerosols in broiler chicken production facilities.

Chronic inhalation exposure to agricultural dust promotes the development of chronic respiratory diseases among poultry workers. Poultry dust is composed of dander, chicken feed, litter bedding and microbes. However, the microbial composition and abundance has not been fully elucidated.

New Institutional Theory and a Culture of Safety in Agriculture.

Health and safety professionals often call for an improved safety culture in agriculture. Such a shift would result in agricultural practices that prioritize safe work habits and see safety as both an effective means to improve production and a goal worth pursuing in its own right. This article takes an anthropological approach and demonstrates the potential for new institutional theory to conceptualize broader cultural change in agriculture.

Effects of milking unit design on upper extremity muscle activity during attachment among U.S. large-herd parlor workers.

Background: Large-herd dairy parlor workers experience a high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the upper extremity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of milking unit design on upper extremity muscle activity during milking unit attachment.

Methods: Upper extremity muscle activity was recorded among U.

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Job Factors Among Large-Herd Dairy Milkers.

Dairy production in the United States is moving towards large-herd milking operations, resulting in an increase in task specialization and work demands. The objective of this project was to provide preliminary evidence of the association of a number of specific job conditions that commonly characterize large-herd parlor milking operations with work-related musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS). A modified version of the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire was administered to assess MSS prevalence among 450 US large-herd parlor workers.

Hearing Loss and Noise Exposure Among Commercial Fishermen in the Gulf Coast.

Objective: Noise is a hazard in commercial fishing. This cross-sectional study associates occupational noise exposure with hearing loss in commercial fishermen.

Methods: A comprehensive survey and audiometric testing were administered to 227 participants in the Gulf Coast.

Airborne Influenza A Is Detected in the Personal Breathing Zone of Swine Veterinarians.

The 2009 H1N1 pandemic emphasized a need to evaluate zoonotic transmission of influenza A in swine production. Airborne influenza A virus has been detected in swine facilities during an outbreak. However, the personal exposure of veterinarians treating infected swine has not been characterized.

Transcriptional mechanisms and protein kinase signaling mediate organic dust induction of IL-8 expression in lung epithelial and THP-1 cells.

Exposure to the agricultural work environment is a risk factor for the development of respiratory symptoms and chronic lung diseases. Inflammation is an important contributor to the pathogenesis of tissue injury and disease. Cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating lung inflammatory responses to agricultural dust are not yet fully understood.

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among US large-herd dairy parlor workers.

Background: Dairy production in the US is moving towards large-herd milking operations resulting in an increase in task specialization and work demands.

Methods: A modified version of the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire was administered to assess MSS prevalence among 452 US large-herd parlor workers. Worker demographics and MSS prevalences were assessed, and differences based on parlor configuration (i.

Work-related injuries and fatalities on dairy farm operations-a global perspective.

Agriculture is among the most hazardous sectors for workers globally, and dairy farming has been associated with a high risk of injury among workers in several countries. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on what is known about modern dairy farms and related injuries and fatalities in different regions of the world. As in other sectors of agriculture, fatalities appear to be associated with heavy equipment usage, whereas injuries occur at higher rates with animal production, specifically cattle and milk production.

Systematic review of respiratory health among dairy workers.

The dairy industry is changing on a global scale with larger, more efficient operations. The impact of this change on worker health and safety, specifically, associations between occupational lung disease and inhalation exposures, has yet to be reported in a comprehensive review of the scientific literature. Therefore, a three-tier process was used to identify information using a keyword search of online databases of scientific literature.

Ergonomics in modern dairy practice: a review of current issues and research needs.

Dairy farming is an ancient occupation. Traditionally, cows have been manually milked while tethered in stalls or stanchions. In the latter half of the 20th century as machine milking emerged, the parlor milking system has become more popular, especially among larger dairy farms.

The dairy industry: a brief description of production practices, trends, and farm characteristics around the world.

The global dairy industry is composed of a multitude of countries with unique production practices and consumer markets. The global average number of cows per farm is about 1-2 cows; however, as a farm business model transitions from sustenance to market production, the average herd size, and subsequent labor force increases. Dairy production is unique as an agricultural commodity because milk is produced daily, for 365 days per year.

Utilizing pyrosequencing and quantitative PCR to characterize fungal populations among house dust samples.

Molecular techniques are an alternative to culturing and counting methods in quantifying indoor fungal contamination. Pyrosequencing offers the possibility of identifying unexpected indoor fungi. In this study, 50 house dust samples were collected from homes in the Yakima Valley, WA.