Airborne Microorganisms From Livestock Production Systems and Their Relation to Dust

Large amounts of airborne microorganisms are emitted from livestock production. These emitted microorganisms may associate with dust, and are suspected to pose a risk of airborne infection to humans in vicinity and to animals on other farms. However, the extent to which airborne transmission may play a role in the epidemic, and how dust acts as a carrier of microorganisms in the transmission processes is unknown. The authors present the current knowledge of the entire process of airborne transmission of microorganisms-from suspension and transportation until deposition and infection-and their relation to dust. The sampling and the mitigation techniques of airborne microorganisms and dust in livestock production systems are introduced as well.