Reducing Skin Microbiome Exposure Impacts Through Swine Farm Biosecurity

Details

• Journal Article:
  GigaScience
• Personal Author:
  Slizovskiy, Ilya B. ; Gaire, Tara N. ; Ferm, Peter M. ; Odland, Carissa A. ; Dee, Scott A. ; Nerem, Joel ; Bravo, Jonathan E. ; Kimball, Alejandro D. ; Boucher, Christina ; Noyes, Noelle R.
• Description:
  Background: Livestock work is unique due to worker exposure to animal-associated microbiomes within the workplace. Swine workers are a unique cohort within the US livestock labor force, as they have direct daily contact with pigs and undertake mandatory biosecurity interventions. However, investigating this occupational cohort is challenging, particularly within tightly regulated commercial swine operations. Thus, little is known about the impacts of animal exposure and biosecurity protocols on the swine worker microbiome. We obtained unique samples from US swine workers, using a longitudinal study design to investigate temporal microbiome dynamics. Results: We observed a significant increase in bacterial DNA load on worker skin during the workday, with concurrent changes in the composition and abundance of microbial taxa, resistance genes, and mobile genetic elements. However, mandatory showering at the end of the workday partially returned the skin's microbiome and resistome to their original state. Conclusions: These novel results from a human cohort demonstrate that existing biosecurity practices can ameliorate work-associated microbiome impacts.
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Drug Resistance, Microbial Livestock Occupational Health Safety Swine
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Workers; Agriculture; Animal Husbandry Workers; Skin Exposure; Livestock Industry; Longitudinal Study; Antimicrobial Resistance; Farm Workers; Genomics; Genetic Factors; Bacteria; Author Keywords: Metagenomics; Microbiome; Antimicrobial Resistance; Mobile Genetic Elements; Farmworkers; Public Health
• Source:
  Gigascience 2025 Jul; 14:1-21
• ISSN:
  2047-217X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Minnesota ; Indiana ; Florida ; Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Atlanta Region [OSHA] ; Birmingham Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  21 pdf pages
• Volume:
  14
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071393
• Contact Point Address:
  Noelle R. Noyes, 385D ASVM, 1988 Fitch Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
• Email:
  nnoyes@umn.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Minnesota
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20110930
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:519ed62fb4b806dcbb88f2457bc95171cfa3ae9afa8577b38a795030dc1de00cd8c1a1c8a18a7dfa43e42e815b980dec3801cd767357f236addd235c0df4963d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/258993/cdc_258993_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.28 MB ]