The Impact of Pathogens
Each year, about 1 in 6 people in the United States get sick from eating contaminated food, according to the CDC. Agriculture has both large positive and negative effects on the health of many living things, including human beings. Infectious diseases among agriculture have massive health impacts on society. Emerging infectious diseases, food borne illnesses, and other harmful pathogens have the tendency to spread quickly if not treated properly and can be extremely costly to eradicate.
Pathogens are organisms that cause diseases. One common pathogen in agricultural settings are mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are a toxic by-product of naturally occurring fungi. This pathogen has serious health implications in humans and livestock and can be found on grains, fruits, and vegetables. Acute and long-term exposure is associated with stunted growth, reduced nutrient absorption, organ failure, and cancer.
Proper cleaning practices are essential in preventing the spread of disease in agriculture. Paerosol’s disinfecting technology is designed to kill air and surface borne mold, bacteria, and viruses effectively and safely to help keep agriculture practices free from pathogens.
What causes Pathogen Outbreaks?
To ultimately get rid of pathogens in agriculture practices we must determine what causes these outbreaks to begin with. Humid, cool conditions are highly attractive to the germination of fungal spores. Their growth comes from the presence of water, a source of food, the appropriate amount of oxygen, and a specific temperature. Under these conditions, spores will flourish. They can arise from causes such as ambient humidity, irrigation and the temperature of the greenhouse, or indirect causes, such as humidity caused by dripping, according to research by The Root Factory.
Extensive outbreaks are more likely to occur in highly centralized food supplies. The United States Department of Agriculture says that an increasingly centralized food supply means that food contaminated during production can be rapidly shipped to many states, causing widespread outbreaks.
The similar genetic and physical environments of agriculture ecosystems create an environment that differs from natural ecosystems, with the agricultural ecosystem being more prone to the emergence of new, ‘domesticated’ crop pathogens that grow quicker and are more harmful compared to their ‘wild’ ancestors. “The increased plant density and genetic uniformity of host populations in agriculture ecosystems compared with natural ecosystems makes pathogen transmission easier”, according to the Natural Library of Medicine.
Pathogens in Poultry
An agriculture research case study performed by the USDA and Mississippi State University showed infectious agents and their associated diseases can be barriers in the production of poultry and can endanger consumers.
Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is an important poultry pathogen that affects both cattle and egg-type poultry. MG infections are common among commercial egg-layers and occur more sporadically among cattle flocks. This bacterial pathogen is normally associated with respiratory disease, and the disease may be severely complicated in the presence of several secondary viral and bacterial agents and certain environmental factors.
The study demonstrated the efficacy of using Paerosol’s disinfecting platform in eliminating MG from poultry facilities. After the use of Paerosol, researchers recorded “no-growth” of MG.
Egg Sanitation
An egg holding and incubation study completed by Auburn University determined the efficacy of Paerosol’s dry mist sanitizing technology on bacteria and mold on eggs before incubation and at the time of in-ova inoculation and transfer of eggs to the hatching system.
The study concluded that the sanitation treatment used in these studies appeared to have zero negative effects on broiler hatching eggs and the results were consistent with increased embryonic survival and reduced chick mortality after hatching. Contamination was decreased by Paerosol’s sanitation treatment in both studies. By broiler industry standards, the increase seen for “hatch of fertile” was large.
Bird Flu from Chicken Farms
Influenza A is a pathogen of significant public health concern worldwide. In a virucidal activity study, Paerosol found H5N1 or “Bird Flu” is easily transmissible between birds and is mainly spread by domestic poultry, through the movements of infected birds and poultry products and using infected poultry manure as fertilizer or feed.
Humans with H5N1 have typically caught it from chickens, which were in turn infected by other poultry or waterfowl. There are a variety of chemicals reported to be effective for eliminating the presence of bird flu, however most decontaminating preps use harsh chemicals and are not safe for humans or animals. This study showed that Paerosol’s non-toxic disinfecting solution is safe for animals and people and effective in killing off diseases such as H5N1 along with many others.
How Can Pathogens Be Controlled?
The National Agriculture Library says the control of foodborne pathogens relies both on destroying them in foods by various processes such as disinfectant and preventing ready to eat foods from recontamination after processing occurs. Food processing commonly produces injured foodborne pathogens that can recover and grow in various foods.
The use of disinfectants in agriculture is essential in killing pathogens while also ensuring they won’t reemerge in the future. A systematic, rigorous cleaning routine and choosing the right disinfectant is what is going to truly make a difference in protecting your products.
Paerosol is effective against bacteria, viruses, and fungi while also being fast acting. It does not leave behind any harmful residues and is safe for humans and livestock. The United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency successfully tested Paerosol against bio-agents including Ebola, E coli, Salmonella, H1N1 (swine flu), H5N1 (bird flu), and MRSA. It is effective in addressing and mitigating pathogens, viruses, and mold in the air, on the surface, and in the water. Choose Paerosol to keep your agriculture practices safe.
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