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UMASH Research Group Awarded $5 Million NIH Grant

Dr. Christine Seroogy, Principal Investigator of the pilot project “Exploratory Immunologic Differences in Cord Blood from Infants Born into Farming Environments Compared to Nonfarming Environments in MESA” reports that their research group has been awarded a $5 million NIH award to continue this work with a larger number of infants and in a prospective …

UMASH Annual Forum: Growing Agricultural Education: Embracing Health and Safety

The 2015 UMASH Annual Forum entitled “Growing Agricultural Education: Embracing Health and Safety” was held at the Davies Center on the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire campus on May 28, 2015. The forum was co-sponsored by the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH), the College of Nursing and Health Sciences …

2015 NORA Symposium

The 2015 National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Symposium was held Wednesday, May 6 at Mayo Memorial Auditorium at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. The symposium was co-sponsored by the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (MCOHS) and the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH). Attendees from …

SPOTLIGHT: Rabies as an Immigrant Worker Health Issue on the Farm

SEPTEMBER 2014 Iris Reyes Research Specialist, National Farm Medicine Center As the dairy industry modernizes, Hispanic immigrant workers play an increasingly important role. Approximately 50% of the dairy workforce in the United States is made up of immigrant workers, largely from Mexico. There are numerous barriers to addressing the health and safety …

SPOTLIGHT: Invisible Dangers on the Farm

DECEMBER 2013 Carrie Klumb Senior Epidemiologist, Minnesota Department of Health In this spotlight story, a mother shares her young daughters’ frightening experiences with E. coli O157:H7 infections. The family chose to share their story, and the knowledge they gained, to help educate others about health risks associated with drinking raw milk …

SPOTLIGHT: Rabid Calf on a Stearns County Farm

OCTOBER 2013 Carrie Klumb Senior Epidemiologist, Minnesota Department of Health A Stearns County farmer noticed a 5 month-old calf that began showing atypical behaviors on September 30. The calf was bellowing, going off feed, showing signs of aggression, and mounting other calves in the pen. The farmer recalled seeing a skunk in the pen where the calf …

SPOTLIGHT: Rabies on the Farm

AUGUST 2013 Carrie Klumb Senior Epidemiologist, Minnesota Department of Health Each year, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) tests approximately 2,000 wild or domestic animals for rabies and on average 40 to 100 animals test positive. Rabies is a fatal neurologic disease caused by a virus that is spread through saliva. Typically the virus is spread …

SPOTLIGHT: Needlestick Risks, An Interview with a Wisconsin Dairy Farmer

APRIL 2013 Iris Reyes and Teresa Schnetzer While needlestick injuries are usually minor, certain injection related injuries are very serious. Studies have shown that 80% of farm workers and 73% of swine veterinarians working in animal agriculture have experienced a needlestick injury. While most needlestick injuries can produce skin irritation or allergic …

SPOTLIGHT: Leo’s Story

JANUARY 2013 Carrie Klumb Senior Epidemiologist, Minnesota Department of Health My husband, Ryan, is a third generation dairy farmer with approximately 200 head on the farm. We also have custom fed hogs and a dog. We have four children: Connor (20), Colton (14), Madison (12), and Leo (2). The older children have grown up around the animals and have …