scholarly journals Untangling the Governance of Public Health Aspects of Manure in The Netherlands

Author(s):  
Sophia Dollmann ◽  
Lucie Vermeulen ◽  
Ana Maria de Roda Husman

The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in terms of people and livestock and is the second largest exporter of agricultural products worldwide. As a result, the Netherlands has a manure surplus. Excess application of manure can lead to environmental problems; therefore, manure needs to be treated and discharged. Manure can contain zoonotic pathogens, but whether exposure to manure and manure treatment also poses a risk to public health is still unknown. This study analysed the regulations, relevant actors, and responsibilities in the complex system of manure and public health in the Netherlands. Interviews and system mapping have demonstrated interlinkages between environmental, economic, and health aspects. Constraints and opportunities for public health protection have been identified. This study reveals the complexity of the Dutch manure policy, its scattered responsibilities, the challenge to deal with uncertainties, and, most importantly, the need for a microbial risk assessment in order to adequately communicate and manage possible risks to protect the health of animals, the environment, and people.

2010 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. FRANZ ◽  
S. O. TROMP ◽  
H. RIJGERSBERG ◽  
H. J. van der FELS-KLERX

Fresh vegetables are increasingly recognized as a source of foodborne outbreaks in many parts of the world. The purpose of this study was to conduct a quantitative microbial risk assessment for Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes infection from consumption of leafy green vegetables in salad from salad bars in The Netherlands. Pathogen growth was modeled in Aladin (Agro Logistics Analysis and Design Instrument) using time-temperature profiles in the chilled supply chain and one particular restaurant with a salad bar. A second-order Monte Carlo risk assessment model was constructed (using @Risk) to estimate the public health effects. The temperature in the studied cold chain was well controlled below 5°C. Growth of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella was minimal (17 and 15%, respectively). Growth of L. monocytogenes was considerably greater (194%). Based on first-order Monte Carlo simulations, the average number of cases per year in The Netherlands associated the consumption leafy greens in salads from salad bars was 166, 187, and 0.3 for E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and L. monocytogenes, respectively. The ranges of the average number of annual cases as estimated by second-order Monte Carlo simulation (with prevalence and number of visitors as uncertain variables) were 42 to 551 for E. coli O157:H7, 81 to 281 for Salmonella, and 0.1 to 0.9 for L. monocytogenes. This study included an integration of modeling pathogen growth in the supply chain of fresh leafy vegetables destined for restaurant salad bars using software designed to model and design logistics and modeling the public health effects using probabilistic risk assessment software.


2016 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 1181-1187 ◽  
Author(s):  
MIAO GUO ◽  
ABHINAV MISHRA ◽  
ROBERT L. BUCHANAN ◽  
JITENDER P. DUBEY ◽  
DOLORES E. HILL ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Toxoplasma gondii is a prevalent protozoan parasite worldwide. Human toxoplasmosis is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality in the United States, and meat products have been identified as an important source of T. gondii infections in humans. The goal of this study was to develop a farm-to-table quantitative microbial risk assessment model to predict the public health burden in the United States associated with consumption of U.S. domestically produced lamb. T. gondii prevalence in market lambs was pooled from the 2011 National Animal Health Monitoring System survey, and the concentration of the infectious life stage (bradyzoites) was calculated in the developed model. A log-linear regression and an exponential dose-response model were used to model the reduction of T. gondii during home cooking and to predict the probability of infection, respectively. The mean probability of infection per serving of lamb was estimated to be 1.5 cases per 100,000 servings, corresponding to ~6,300 new infections per year in the U.S. population. Based on the sensitivity analysis, we identified cooking as the most effective method to influence human health risk. This study provided a quantitative microbial risk assessment framework for T. gondii infection through consumption of lamb and quantified the infection risk and public health burden associated with lamb consumption.


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