Water-based Cooling Strategies for Livestock Operations: A Potential Source of Waterborne Respiratory Pathogens Bioaerosols
NYCKIE ALBERT, Valérie Létourneau, Vicki Clouet-Côté, Araceli Dalila Larios Martínez, Stéphane Godbout, Caroline Duchaine, Université Laval
Abstract Number: 347
Working Group: Bioaerosols in Agriculture: Sources, Risks and Mitigation
Abstract
Global warming is accelerating the implementation of water-based cooling strategies (e.g., fogging systems, cooling pads) inside confined livestock operations since heat-stressed animals imply low weight gain, low reproducibility, deaths, and therefore significant economic losses. However, these strategies may be associated with multiplication of opportunistic waterborne pathogens (e.g., Legionella, mycobacteria) inside water pipes and reservoirs (stagnant water, biofilms) and, their consequent aerosolization when cooling strategies are being used. The present project aimed to evaluate by qPCR the presence of waterborne respiratory pathogens (e.g., Acinetobacter baumanii, Legionella pneumophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium avium) in water, surface, and air samples taken in pig buildings (finishing swine, gestating sow) using cooling pads and/or fogging systems. Sampling campaigns took place at the beginning, middle and at the end of the warm season. At the beginning of the warm season, Legionella spp. (up to 103 per ml or surface) and Mycobacterium spp. (up to 107 per ml or surface) were already present in water and surface samples of the fogging systems and cooling pads. The presence of Acinetobacter baumanii was revealed in a few water and surface samples of the fogging systems and cooling pads but often at concentrations close to the detection limit of the qPCR protocol. On-going deeper analysis will determine if the presence and concentrations of waterborne respiratory pathogens increase during the warm season. These primordial results will determine if water-based cooling systems could lead to waterborne respiratory pathogens aerosolization inside confined livestock buildings and then be a health issue for animals and workers.