Manure-borne Pathogens: Impact of Animal Agriculture on Microbial Water Quality

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Manure-borne PathogensImpact of Animal
Agriculture on Microbial Water Quality
Jeanette A. Thurston-Enriquez USDA-ARS
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Livestock Manure

• Increase in CAFOs
• 500 million tons/year in U.S.
• 26 million tons/yr in NE

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Public Health and Animal Waste

• Animal waste agents
• Infectious
• bacteria, viruses, protozoa
• Chemical
• nutrients, endocrine disrupters, antimicrobials

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Manure-borne Pathogens of Concern
Protozoan Parasites
Pathogenic Bacteria
Fungi
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
Viruses
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In order to determine the human health impact of
manure-borne pathogens we need to evaluate

• Occurrence
• Survival/Persistence
• Dissemination/Transport

Manure, Manure Management Systems, Surrounding
Environment Water, Air, Soil
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Other Health-Related Microorganisms

• Fecal Indicator Microorganisms
• What?
• Traditionally, bacteria of fecal origin
• Total and fecal coliforms
• Escherichia coli
• Why?
• Indicators of fecal contamination
• Recreational and drinking water quality
  regulations
• Faster, cheaper, easier detection

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Waterborne Disease in the U.S.

• 12-20 outbreaks/yr
• 10-100 x higher
• 900,000 cases of waterborne microbial infections
• Up to 900 deaths
• gt70 in gt55 yrs

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Water Sources Affecting Public Health
Drinking
Recreational
Irrigation
Foodborne
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Manure Dissemination

• Land application
• Aerosol generation
• Leakage or overflow from storage lagoons or
  treatment ponds
• Runoff from feed yards, manure-applied land,
  pasture land, etc.

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Well head impacts
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Outbreak Source Animal Ag.

• Walkerton, 2001
• Land-applied cattle manure
• Agricultural runoff to groundwater supply
• Escherichia coli O157H7 Campylobacter
• gt2000 cases
• 7 fatalities

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Contributing Factors for Environmental
Persistence and Transmission ofEnteric Pathogens

• High numbers shed in feces
• Increased survival
• Low infectious dose
• Increased resistance to disinfection/treatment
• Multiple routes of transmission
• Animal and human infections

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Potential Routes of Human Exposure to Pathogens

• Waterborne
• Drinking and recreational water
• Foodborne (can be related to waterborne)
• Direct contact, irrigation water, ingestion of
  contaminated produce
• Direct Contact
• Aerosol Transmission
• Transport to water supplies or food crops
• Inhalation of aerosols
• Contact

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Possible Pathogen Transmission by Aerosols

• Direct transmission or deposition onto food
  crops, fomites, or water

Biosolids Land Application
Livestock Spray Irrigation
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Barriers Against Waterborne Disease

• Drinking water and wastewater treatment
• Disinfection Filtration
• Surface water monitoring/Source water protection
• Point-of-use devicesdisinfect/filter
• Protection of recreational waters
• Contaminant monitoring
• Designation of specific uses

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Agriculture Limiting Microbial Transport
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Limiting Microbial TransportManure Storage
Treatment
Holding Ponds Lagoons
Compost
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Limiting Microbial TransportAerosols
Land application
Pen scraping

• Top spray vs. drop spray
• Keep tractor speed low scrape moist soil
• Low wind speed
• Wind direction

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Limiting Microbial TransportVegetated Filter
Strips
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Microbial Reduction Prior to Land
ApplicationConstructed Wetlands

• Alternative waste management and treatment
  technology
• Bacterial reduction gt80 (prior to plant
  establishment)
• Protozoan parasite reduction gt60 (prior to
  plant establishment)

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Manure-borne Pathogen Information Gaps

• Environmental Loading
• Environmental Fate
• Treatment Effectiveness
• Alternative Treatments/Tech.

• Detection Methods
• Viability
• Sensitivity
• Specificity
• Emerging Pathogens
• Risk Assessments
• Requires above information

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Questions/Comments?