Concentrated swine feeding operations and public health: A review of occupational and community health effects

Recent industry changes in swine-management practices have resulted in a growing controversy surrounding the environmental and public health effects of modern swine production. The numerous wastes produced by intensive swine production not only pose a significant challenge to effective environmental management but also are associated with decreased air quality in confinement houses, potentially transferable antimicrobial resistance patterns, and several infectious agents that can be pathogenic to humans. Published studies have documented a variety of contaminants, microbial agents, and health effects in those occupationally exposed to swine, and these have provided the groundwork for an increasing body of research to evaluate possible community health effects. Nonetheless, several factors limit our ability to define and quantify the potential role of intensive swine-rearing facilities in occupational and community health. Our incomplete understanding and ability to detect specific exposures; the complicated nature of disease etiology, pathogenesis, and surveillance; and the inherent difficulties associated with study design all contribute to the inadequate level of knowledge that currently prevails. However, an evaluation of the published literature, and a recognition of the elements that may be compromising these studies, provides the foundation from which future studies may develop.