JANUARY 2021

What images come to mind when you think of hazards on the farm – large tractors, grain bins, ATV’s, chemicals? These are all very visible examples of risks in agriculture.

There are invisible risks as well, just as dangerous and life threatening as tractors and grain bins. Farmers and farm workers handling animals are at a greater risk of bacterial infections which “invisibly” pass from animals to people.

Bacterial infections can occur when handling animals on the farm or in a public setting such as a fair, agritourism event or petting zoo. Recent research by University of Minnesota School of Public Health PhD student, Madhura Vachon, has taken a closer look at ruminant animals including cows, sheep and goats, and the connection to serious infection in people. Her research and findings were recently published in the journal One Health and shared in the School of Public Health publication, SPHERE.