Bioaerosols and airborne spread of diseases in animal production operations

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Animal diseases have numerous economic and social impacts and are becoming an emerging global threat to the livestock industry and public health. An example is avian influenza, which has caused huge economic losses to the poultry industry globally and is a significant threat to public health. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the transmission of animal diseases is critical in preventing and managing disease outbreaks. An important route of animal disease transmission is airborne transmission by bioaerosols. In contrast to transmission by direct contact, airborne transmission is less understood and much more difficult to control. Airborne transmission of animal diseases is closely related to emission and dispersion of bioaerosols generated in animal operations. Bioaerosols are airborne particles originated from the fragmentation of biological materials or containing living organisms. In animal operations, bioaerosols are produced from animals, feed, bedding, and feces, and they consist of a complex mixture of biological, microbial, and inorganic particles. When emitted to the atmosphere, these bioaerosols act as a carrier for pathogens that travel in the air and may infect nearby animal facilities. A simple but critical research question is: how far can the pathogens associated with bioaerosols travel in the atmosphere and still be viable? The proposed research will explore the mechanisms by which pathogens are aerosolized in swine operations and an airborne transmission model will be developed for forecasting disease spread. The novelty of this research is to integrate biological models of pathogens with the theory of aerosol dispersion. PRRS (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome), which is an important swine disease that costs $130 million to the Canadian swine industry annually, will be studied as a model. The proposed research will provide a theoretical framework for developing tools for making control and eradication decisions in the event of an animal disease outbreak. This will benefit not only the livestock industry in Canada in terms of minimizing economic losses caused by animal diseases but also the general public in terms of reducing the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. Through the proposed research program, two (2) PhD, two (2) MSc and five (5) undergraduate students will be trained in a multidisciplinary environment involving integration of engineering with such biological sciences as animal science and microbiology. The research pogrom will also provide ample opportunities for the students to work with the livestock industry to prepare them for their future careers with the industry. **