title: Bioaerosol Sampling in Modern Agriculture: A Novel Approach for Emerging Pathogen Surveillance?
abstract: Modern agricultural practices create environmental conditions conducive to the emergence of novel pathogens. Current surveillance efforts to assess the burden of emerging pathogens in animal production facilities in China are sparse. In Guangdong Province pig farms, we compared bioaerosol surveillance for influenza A virus to surveillance in oral pig secretions and environmental swab specimens.
  
  
  
  During the 2014 summer and fall/winter seasons, we used 3 sampling techniques to study 5 swine farms weekly for influenza A virus. Samples were molecularly tested for influenza A virus, and positive specimens were further characterized with culture. Risk factors for influenza A virus positivity for each sample type were assessed.
  
  
  
  Seventy-one of 354 samples (20.1%) were positive for influenza A virus RNA by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis. Influenza A virus positivity in bioaerosol samples was a statistically significant predictor for influenza A virus positivity in pig oral secretion and environmental swab samples. Temperature of <20°C was a significant predictor of influenza A virus positivity in bioaerosol samples.
  
  
  
  Climatic factors and routine animal husbandry practices may increase the risk of human exposure to aerosolized influenza A viruses in swine farms. Data suggest that bioaerosol sampling in pig barns may be a noninvasive and efficient means to conduct surveillance for novel influenza viruses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental & Global Health, College of Public Health & Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine and Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, One Health Research Center, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou.
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, One Health Research Center, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou.
authors.forename: Mengmeng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, One Health Research Center, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Zhongshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention Zhongshan Institute, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Province.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Zhongshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention Zhongshan Institute, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Province.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental & Global Health, College of Public Health & Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lednicky
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology.
authors.forename: Mai-Juan
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, One Health Research Center, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou Zhongshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention Zhongshan Institute, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Tropical Disease Control, Sun Yat-sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Jiahai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine and Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Gregory C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols
keywords: China; One Health; bioaerosol; emerging pathogens; influenza A virus; modern agriculture; swine