Respirable Aerosol Production and Reduction of Avian Influenza Transmission Risk During Chicken Processing, Bangladesh

Details

• Journal Article:
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Personal Author:
  Rimi, Nadia Ali ; Saifullah, Md. Khalid ; Fahad, Md. Habibullah ; Hossain, Kamal ; Sultana, Rebeca ; Shanta, Ireen S. ; Swayne, David E. ; Mortaza, Syed M. G. ; Giasuddin, Md. ; Hassan, Md. Zakir ; LeBoa, Christopher ; Biswas, Debashish ; Rahman, Mahbubur ; Mott, Joshua A. ; Kennedy, Erin D. ; Lindsley, William G.
• Description:
  In Bangladesh, influenza A(H5N1) viruses are endemic in poultry. Processing infected chickens can aerosolize viruses, increasing the risk for human infections. We evaluated particulate matter (PM2.5) mass concentration during slaughtering and defeathering methods used in live bird markets in Bangladesh to identify solutions to reduce aerosol exposure. We slaughtered 675 chickens using cones and barrels with 3 lid types and defeathered 45 chickens using a defeathering machine with 5 lid types. We interviewed 3 slaughterers to understand method preference. For slaughtering, barrels with a solid or star-cut lid reduced PM2.5 mass concentrations by 65%-73% compared with uncovered barrels. For defeathering, machines fully covered by a solid lid or lid with a hole and pivot door reduced PM2.5 mass concentrations by 50% compared with machines with no lid. Slaughterers preferred barrels covered with solid lids and defeathering machines covered with solid or hinged lids. Those methods might reduce aerosol exposure during poultry processing.
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Influenza In Birds Occupational Health Poultry Respiratory System Safety
• Keywords:
  Infectious diseases; Poultry industry; Aerosols; Aerosol particles; Animal-related diseases; Respiratory diseases; Avian influenza; Aerosol sampling; Disease transmission
• Source:
  Emerg Infect Dis 2026 Apr; 32(4):603-613
• ISSN:
  1080-6040
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; California ; West Virginia ; Atlanta Region [OSHA] ; San Francisco Region [OSHA] ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  11 pdf pages
• Volume:
  32
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071534
• Contact Point Address:
  Nadia Ali Rimi, Infectious Diseases Division, icddr,b, 68, Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6c45c322581c57dac479c9b4d916356bf4376172839f07559cbf1da7d98b64c47e6f14f0c928bdc61eb90d957d218e2277597b35030f753fafdda92ff6798ddc
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259128/cdc_259128_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.52 MB ]