title: Comparison of airborne bacterial communities from a hog farm and spray field.
abstract: Airborne bacteria from hog farms may have detrimental impacts on human health, particularly in terms of antibiotic resistance and pathogen zoonosis. Despite human health risks, very little is known about the composition and diversity of airborne bacteria from hog farms and hog-related spray fields. We used pyrosequencing analysis of 16S rRNA genes to compare airborne bacterial communities in a North Carolina hog farm and lagoon spray field. In addition, we isolated and identified antibiotic-resistant bacteria from both air samples. Based on 16S rRNA gene pyrosequence analysis, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla in airborne bacterial communities from both hog farm and spray field sites. Within the Firmicutes genera, Clostridium spp. were more abundant in the hog farm, whereas Staphylococcus spp. were higher in the spray field. The presence of opportunitic pathogens, including several Staphylococcus species and Propionibacterium acnes, was detected in both bioaerosol communities based on phylogenetic analysis. The isolation and identification of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from air samples also showed similar results with dominance of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria in both hog farm and spray field air. Thus, the existence of opportunistic pathogens and antibiotic resistant bacteria in airborne communities evidences potential health risks to farmers and other residents from swine bioaerosol exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC 28403, USA.|Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, Gloucester Point, VA, 23062, USA.
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Arfken
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC 28403, USA.|Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, Gloucester Point, VA, 23062, USA.|Department of Life Science, Dongguk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Bongkeun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, Dongguk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-Suk
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000391:Air Microbiology; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S