Summary
This
study was conducted to determine the concentration and frequency
distribution of certain airborne micro-organisms on cattle farms
and their potential health hazards to farm workers. The samples
(60 air samples and 240 hand and nasal swabs from cattle farm workers)
were collected from ten cattle farms (five dairy barns and five
beef sheds) located in the Sharkia Governorate of Egypt. Air samples
were collected for microbiological examination in liquid media using
an all-glass impinger whereas those for fungal examination were
placed on agar plates using slit air samplers (aeroscopes). The
results showed that the overall means of total culturable bacterial
and fungal counts were lower in the air of dairy cattle barns than
in beef cattle sheds. Identification of the isolated bacteria revealed
the recovery of the following species (from dairy cattle barns versus
beef cattle sheds): Staphylococcus epidermidis (26.7% vs
36.7%), S. saprophyticus (20% vs 33.3%), S. aureus
(10% vs 16.7%), Enterococcus faecalis (23.3% vs 26.7%), Enterobacter
agglomerans (23.3 vs 13.3%), Escherichia coli, (16.7%
vs 26.7%), Klebsiella oxytoca, (10% vs 16.7%), K. pneumoniae
(3.3% vs 0%), Proteus rettegri (6.7% vs 13.3%), P. mirabilis
(10% vs 10%), P. vulgaris (3.3% vs 6.7%), Pseudomonas
species (6.7% vs 16.7%), respectively). Mycological examination
of air samples revealed the presence of Aspergillus fumigatus
(46.7% vs 63.3%), A. niger (20% vs 36.7%), A. flavus
(13.3% vs 26.7%), Penicillium citrinum (16.7% vs 23.3%),
P. viridicatum (13.3% vs 6.7%), P. capsulatum
(3.3% vs 0%), Cladosporium spp. (30% vs 56.7%), Alternaria
spp. (13.3 vs 23.3%), Mucor spp. (6.7% vs 16.7%), Fusarium
spp. (3.3% vs 10%), Absidia spp. (6.7% vs 10%), Curvilaria
spp. (10% vs 3.3%), Rhizopus spp. (6.7% vs 13.3%), Scopulariopsis
(3.3% vs 6.7%), Epicoccum spp. (0% vs 3.4%) and yeast (13.3%
vs 20%), respectively. In addition, microbiological examinations
of farm workers revealed heavy contamination of their hands and
noses with most of the micro-organisms detected in the air of cattle
farms. The results showed that potential airborne microbial risks
in beef cattle sheds were greater than in dairies.
Keywords
Air,
Bacterium, Beef, Biohazard, Cattle, Dairy, Egypt, Fungi, Public
health, Zoonoses. |