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Measurement of culturable airborne staphylococci downwind from a naturally ventilated broiler house

Aerobiologia volume 27, pages 311–318 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

The objective of this study was to estimate the possible travel distance of airborne bacteria emitted from a naturally ventilated broiler house by using staphylococci as indicator organisms. Air samples were taken during the second half of three fattening periods with Impinger (AGI-30) in the barn and simultaneously upwind and downwind from the building. Staphylococci concentrations varied between 1 × 106 and 1 × 107 cfu m−3 in the barn. No Staphylococci were detected in air samples at the upwind side. A strong exponential decrease of these bacteria was observed at three sampling heights (1.5, 4.0 and 9.5 m) in the main wind direction downwind of the barn. Staphylococci concentrations up to 5.9 × 103 cfu m−3 were detected at the farthest sampling point (333 m) downwind. Identification to the species level by means of a 16S–23S ITS PCR confirmed that Staphylococcus spp. from downwind samples originated from the barn. Staphylococci served as an useful indicator to demonstrate the travel distance of bacterial emissions originating from a naturally ventilated broiler house. These findings indicate that airborne transmission of viable bacteria from this type of housing system to adjacent residential dwellings or animal houses several hundred metres away is possible.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by Niedersächsisches Ministerium für den ländlichen Raum, Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz, Hannover, Germany.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 17p, 30559, Hannover, Germany

    J. Schulz & J. Hartung

  2. Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    L. Formosa

  3. University of Applied Sciences, Osnabrück, Germany

    J. Seedorf

Authors
  1. J. Schulz
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  2. L. Formosa
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  3. J. Seedorf
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  4. J. Hartung
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Correspondence to J. Schulz.

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Schulz, J., Formosa, L., Seedorf, J. et al. Measurement of culturable airborne staphylococci downwind from a naturally ventilated broiler house. Aerobiologia 27, 311–318 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-011-9202-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-011-9202-6

Keywords

  • Bioaerosols
  • Emission
  • Airborne
  • Staphylococci
  • Dispersion
  • Broiler house