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A recent commentary in GeoHealth highlighted the health risks for people living close to large-scale livestock farms.

Across the world, large-scale livestock farming has expanded rapidly in recent years. However, new scientific evidence shows an association with increased human health issues in both farmers and neighboring populations. A [2017] recently published in  explores how viruses, bacteria and air contaminants derived from livestock farming cause respiratory health problems in humans. Daniela Ceccarelli, one of the journal’s editors, asked Lidwien Smit, co-author of the commentary, some questions about the health risks associated with intensive farming and how these could be addressed with improved agricultural planning.

What are the major livestock-associated risks to human health?

Infectious diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans, so-called zoonoses, are a threat. For example, avian influenza, Salmonella and Campylobacter infections are livestock-associated zoonoses. While large-scale epidemics in the general population due to airborne transmission are rare, infected dairy goat farms caused a large Q-fever outbreak in the Netherlands about a decade ago.

Some people are also concerned about antibiotic resistant bacteria; while this is a risk for everyone through foodborne pathogens, scientists are still gathering evidence to determine whether living near a farm puts you at increased risk []. I think the most important health threat for neighbors comes from inhalation of air pollutants. Like traffic-related pollution, this can cause serious respiratory and cardiovascular effects.

Het volledige artikel verscheen in Editor's Vox op 28 september 2017.