Veehouderij en gezondheid omwonenden (VGO-III) : Actualisatie epidemiologische studies 2014-2019: onderzoek naar longontstekingen rond geitenhouderijen 2018-2024

Summary

In areas with intensive livestock farming, such as North Brabant and the north of Limburg, more people are diagnosed with pneumonia by their general practitioner than in areas with less intensive livestock farming. It has been shown that the risk of contracting pneumonia is higher especially for people who live between up to 500 and up to 2,000 metres away from goat farms.
This finding of an earlier study into associations between livestock farming and the health of neighbouring residents (Veehouderij en Gezondheid Omwonenden, VGO) has again been confirmed. In addition, the current, third VGO study has revealed that the finding also applies to the provinces of Utrecht, Overijssel and Gelderland. Subsequently, research was conducted among various groups of people (pneumonia patients, local residents and goat farmers) and on goat farms to find possible causes behind this finding.
The air in the stables at the investigated goat farms was found to contain a number of bacteria that are known to be potential causes of pneumonia in people. Over thirty of these bacteria were common, having been detected on at least 25 per cent of the goat farms. Of these bacteria, 23 were also detected among one or several of the investigated groups of people and a significant portion were detected in outdoor air surrounding homes near goat farms. Many of the bacteria in the stable air could be traced back to the use of a deep litter system, whereby goats stand on layers of manure and bedding.
While it is difficult to prove that the cases of pneumonia in people living near goat farms were directly caused by bacteria from those goat farms, the found pathogenic bacteria may provide an explanation for the higher incidence of pneumonia. This is because they were found among people, at goat farms and in the air.
This study consisted of various types of investigations to find out whether goat farms could be the source of one or more pathogens (bacteria, fungi or viruses) that can cause pneumonia. First, scientific literature research was conducted to identify which goat-borne pathogens can cause pneumonia in people. Next, an investigation was conducted among patients, local residents and goat farmers to identify which pathogens they carried, if any. In goat farms, the researchers examined the manure, bedding, air and a number of other factors for traces of relevant pathogens. They also examined the outdoor air surrounding homes near goat farms.
This VGO study was carried out by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Utrecht University, Wageningen University and the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (Nivel).