Young workers aged 18-23 years old contribute significantly to the agricultural workforce and are at risk to occupational health risks, including environmental exposures. Many of these workers are employed in large operations or family farms and potentially exposed to gases from livestock production, manure storage, combustion engines, chemicals, or spoiled grain. …

Multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus can cause bacterial infections that can lead to serious illnesses in humans. Certain occupations such as veterinarians and livestock workers are at an increased risk of infection with methicillin susceptible SA (MSSA) and methicillin resistant SA (MRSA) due to their exposure to animals that carry these organisms as “normal” microflora. One population of livestock workers that has not previously been studied are dairy cattle hoof trimmers (HT). …

The 2015 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak in Minnesota (MN) and the Midwest caused significant economic impact. MN lost over 9 million birds and 108 farms were affected across 23 counties resulting in more than $647.2 million from lost turkey and egg production and processing. Farmers managed the outbreak with the assistance of national and state agency resources, but the process was highly stressful and uncertain. …

Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are on the rise and are commonly reported in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Tick bites through outdoor recreational activities is well defined risk factor but only few studies have investigated the impact of TBD for outdoor occupations and optimal interventions for specific occupations. A new interdisciplinary research group is being created with experts from University of Minnesota Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation (MCRF), National Farm Medicine Center (NFMC), and Minnesota Department of Health with the long-term goal of advancing the knowledge of the ecology, epidemiology, and social determinants of TBD as well as identifying effective strategies for infection prevention and clinical case management. …

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a bacteria that commonly colonizes humans, causing infections that lead to mild morbidity (skin lesions), to severe morbidity (bacteremia) and even death. Livestock-associated (LA) SA strains, though adapted to livestock and in particular swine, have recently been found to colonize humans. …