Ergonomic risks and musculoskeletal disorders in production agriculture: recommendations for effective research to practice.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are increasingly recognized as a significant hazard of agricultural occupation. In agricultural jobs with significant physical labor, MSDs are typically the most frequently reported injury. Although not as lethal as tractor roll-overs, MSDs can result in disability, lost work time, and increased production costs.

Characterisation of antibiotic resistance in host-adapted Salmonella enterica.

Salmonella enterica serovars Dublin, Choleraesuis and Pullorum are host-adapted serovars that cause disease primarily in cattle, swine and poultry, respectively. In addition, serovars Dublin and Choleraesuis are important human pathogens that are disproportionately associated with severe invasive infections that require antimicrobial therapy. Because of the potential increased emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, isolates of 42 S.

Characterization of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella enterica serotype Heidelberg isolated from food animals.

Fifty-eight Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg isolates isolated from food animals were tested for antimicrobial susceptibilities and further characterized for select antimicrobial resistance genes, plasmid carriage, class 1 integrons, and genetic relatedness using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Seventy-two percent of isolates displayed resistance to at least one of the antimicrobial agents tested, while 24% exhibited resistance to eight or more antimicrobial agents. Resistance was most commonly observed to tetracycline (71%), streptomycin (62%), and kanamycin (52%).

Food safety issues: a summary report of a panel session addressing pre- and post-harvest strategies to improve public health.

The paper presents a summary of a panel presentation by animal scientists and public health veterinarians on food safety methods to improve public health of the public consuming beef and poultry. Pre-harvest methods discussed include vaccination to decrease shedding of Esherichia coli O157:H7, direct-fed microbials (DFMs), calving methods, and responsible use of antimicrobials. Post-harvest methods discussed include increased sampling and use of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) methods, test-and-hold of meat products prior to release for public consumption, development of attainment categories, the use of pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for genotyping and serotyping, and an 11-step surveillance program.

Characterization of a series of transconjugant mutants of an avian pathogenic Escherichia coli isolate for resistance to serum complement.

Colibacillosis, caused by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a major problem for the poultry industry resulting in significant losses annually. Previous work in our lab and by others has shown that the increased serum survival gene (iss) is a common trait associated with the virulence of APEC. This gene was first described for its contributions to E.

Antimicrobial resistance genes associated with Salmonella enterica serovar newport isolates from food animals.

Salmonella enterica serotype Newport is an important cause of salmonellosis, with strains increasingly being resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents. The increase is associated with the acquisition of multiple resistance genes. This study characterizes the genetic basis of resistance of serotype Newport isolates collected from veterinary sources by PCR and DNA sequencing analysis.

Salmonella challenges: prevalence in swine and poultry and potential pathogenicity of such isolates.

Salmonellosis is the second leading cause of bacterial foodborne illness in the United States, and the great majority of these infections are associated with the consumption of products such as meat, poultry, eggs, milk, seafood, and fresh produce contaminated with Salmonella. The per capita consumption of meat and poultry in United States has increased significantly over the past century. This increase is especially evident with poultry products, where there has been a nearly 6-fold increase in chicken consumption and 17-fold increase in turkey consumption since 1909.

Comparison of molecular typing methods for the differentiation of Salmonella foodborne pathogens.

Bacteria belonging to the genus Salmonella are among the leading causes of foodborne disease of bacterial etiology. These bacteria are also widely disseminated throughout the animal kingdom. The ability to identify the food source from which a human pathogen originated would be of great value in reducing the incidence of foodborne disease and the extent of disease outbreaks due to Salmonella.

Food animal-associated Salmonella challenges: pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance.

Salmonellosis is a worldwide health problem; Salmonella infections are the second leading cause of bacterial foodborne illness in the United States. Approximately 95% of cases of human salmonellosis are associated with the consumption of contaminated products such as meat, poultry, eggs, milk, seafood, and fresh produce. Salmonella can cause a number of different disease syndromes including gastroenteritis, bacteremia, and typhoid fever, with the most common being gastroenteritis, which is often characterized by abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headache.

Comparison of subtyping methods for differentiating Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates obtained from food animal sources.

Molecular characterization (e.g., DNA-based typing methods) of Salmonella isolates is frequently employed to compare and distinguish clinical isolates recovered from animals and from patients with food-borne disease and nosocomial infections.

Genotyping Parkinson disease-associated mitochondrial polymorphisms.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish a system for rapidly detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) using hybridization probes and melting temperature (T(m)) analysis. This technology should prove useful for population-based studies on the interaction between genetic factors and environmental exposures and the risk of Parkinson disease (PD).

Methods: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was extracted from whole blood.

Three times the injuries among occasional wood cutters compared to professional loggers: sample of emergency rooms in central and northern Wisconsin.

Background: No reliable statistics exist for injury rates among occasional woodcutters as opposed to professional loggers. Study objectives were to assess woodcutting injuries seen in emergency rooms and identify risk factors.

Methods: Individuals with woodcutting related injuries were identified in 14 emergency and urgent care departments in central and northern Wisconsin.

Combined effects of Matrigel and growth factors on maintaining undifferentiated murine embryonic stem cells for embryotoxicity testing.

Undifferentiated, murine embryonic stem (mES) cells have shown promise as a substrate for identifying embryotoxic chemicals and for studying mechanisms of early developmental injury. However, long-term maintenance of mES cells in an undifferentiated state is problematic. The present study evaluates the combination of Matrigel matrix and three growth factors for this purpose.

The epidemiology of agriculture-related osteoarthritis and its impact on occupational disability.

Background: Hip and knee osteoarthritis and undiagnosed chronic joint pain are more prevalent in agricultural workers than other occupational groups, significantly impacting the ability of small farm operators and farm workers to maintain a livelihood.

Methods: Agricultural risk factors, economic impacts, national and state AgrAbility data, gender, and farm/non-farm prevalence differences of arthritis and joint arthropathy in a Wisconsin farm cohort are reviewed.

Results: Agricultural workers (primarily male) are at increased risk for developing osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.

Assessment of personal protective equipment use among Midwestern farmers.

Background: Personal protective equipment (PPE) is readily available and widely recommended, yet usage among agricultural workers is largely unknown.

Methods: A mail survey of 2,483 farmers in six Midwestern states with telephone follow-up addressed PPE usage related to sun exposure, noise abatement, chain saw usage, welding and metal work, handling of large animals in and out of confinement facilities, feed handling, manure storage facilities, and mixing and applying chemicals. Summary statistics of survey responses were compiled.

Evaluation of the accuracy and reproducibility of a practical PCR panel assay for rapid detection and differentiation of Mycobacterium avium subspecies.

The Mycobacterium avium subspecies (MAs) include the closely related MAs avium and MAs paratuberculosis. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of a PCR panel assay as a diagnostic tool to detect and differentiate MAs avium and MAs paratuberculosis infection. Specific oligonucleotides primers derived from the 16 S rRNA (MAs) sequence, insertion elements IS 901 (MAs avium), IS 1245 Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), IS 900 (MAs paratuberculosis), and the hspX (MAs paratuberculosis) gene sequences were synthesized and used in preassembled PCR reaction mixtures.

Developmental alterations in murine embryos exposed in vitro to an estrogenic pesticide, o,p'-DDT.

Culturing pronuclear embryos from CD-1 mice with o,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDT was examined as a means for directly evaluating toxicant risk and for increasing the speed of screening developmental toxicants. Pronuclear (2PN) embryos from CD-1 mice were cultured 96 h in modified Earle's balanced salt solution containing 0.1% (v/v) ethanol (control) or 10-fold dilutions of 17/beta-estradiol, o,p'-DDT, or p,p'-DDT.

A hearing conservation program for Wisconsin youth working in agriculture.

Adolescents working in agricultural settings may be exposed to noise levels that result in hearing loss. The article describes the design, implementation, and results of a four-year, hearing conservation program (HCP) conducted at school. Thirty-four schools (753 students) were randomly assigned to either an intervention or control group.

Factors influencing exposure of children to major hazards on family farms.

On family farms, parents are usually knowledgeable of high-risk activities, yet they allow their children to be active participants in (or bystanders to) hazardous work for reasons not well-documented. A two-phase descriptive study, based on the theory of planned behavior and using mail survey research methods, was carried out to understand factors that influence parents' decisions to expose children to major hazards on family farms. A representative sample of 1,255 Wisconsin dairy farm fathers provided data about factors that influence their decisions to expose children younger than 14 years to risks of injury.

Case-control study of agricultural injuries to women in central Wisconsin.

A small number of women are the owner/operators of farms and women often participate in the work of production agriculture. Estimates of the percentage of females involved in agricultural injuries range from 11-45% and it is not clear if the risk factors associated with injuries to women are different from those for men. In a two year case-control study of injuries to farm residents, there were 40 injuries involving adult women.

A population based case-control study of agricultural injuries in children.

Objectives: To identify preventable risk factors related to agricultural injuries occurring to children on family farms.

Setting: A geographically defined central region of Wisconsin, USA with nearly 1800 family dairy farms.

Methods: A two year, population based incidence study of occupational injuries among farm residents was conducted.

A case for medical, environmental, and safety screening.

Agriculture is one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States, yet there has been no improvement noted over the past 30 years. While occupational health and safety improvements have been noted in other industrial sections, agriculture continues to pose many unusual health threats to the farmer. Screening programs are fraught with many problems in view of the widely dispersed nature of agriculture.

Scope and magnitude of injuries in the agricultural workplace.

Agricultural work injury data are less available than data for other industries, so an overview of existing data is provided. Agriculture has the highest annual work death rate of all industries, 52 per 100,000 workers, which is five times the combined rate for all industries. Tractor-related injuries are the leading types of fatal injuries; injuries involving agricultural machinery, animals, and trucks are the leading types of non-fatal injuries.