Pathogens

Both manure and animal carcasses contain pathogens (disease-causing organisms) which can impact human health, other livestock, aquatic life, and wildlife when introduced into the environment. Several pathogenic organisms found in manure can infect humans.

Disease	Responsible Organism	Symptoms
Table 1. Some Diseases and Parasites Transmittable to Humans from Animal Manure
Bacteria
Anthrax	Bacillus anthracis	Skin sores, fever, chills, lethargy, headache, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, cough, nose/throat congestion, pneumonia, joint stiffness, joint pain
Brucellosis	Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis, Brucella suis	Weakness, lethargy, fever, chills, sweating, headache
Colibaciliosis	Escherichia coli (some serotypes)	Diarrhea, abdominal gas
Coliform mastitis-metritis	Escherichia coli (some serotypes)	Diarrhea, abdominal gas
Erysipelas	Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae	Skin inflammation, rash, facial swelling, fever, chills, sweating, joint stiffness, muscle aches, headache, nausea, vomiting
Leptospirosis	Leptospira Pomona	Abdominal pain, muscle pain, vomiting, fever
Listeriosis	Listeria monocytogenes	Fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Salmonellosis	Salmonella species	Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, chills, fever, headache
Tetanus	Clostridium tetani	Violent muscle spasms, “lockjaw” spasms of jaw muscles, difficulty breathing
Tuberculosis	Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium	Cough, fatigue, fever, pain in chest, back, and/or kidneys
Rickettsia
Q fever	Coxiella burneti	Fever, headache, muscle pains, joint pain, dry cough, chest pain, abdominal pain, jaundice
Viruses
Foot and Mouth	Virus	Rash, sore throat, fever
Hog Cholera	Virus
New Castle	Virus
Psittacosis	Virus	Pneumonia
Fungi
Coccidioidycosis	Coccidioides immitus	Cough, chest pain, fever, chills, sweating, headache, muscle stiffness, joint stiffness, rash wheezing
Histoplasmosis	Histoplasma capsulatum	Fever, chills, muscle ache, muscle stiffness, cough, rash, joint pain, join stiffness
Ringworm	Various microsporum and trichophyton	Itching, rash
Protozoa
Balantidiasis	Balatidium coli
Coccidiosis	Eimeria species	Diarrhea, abdominal gas
Cryptosporidiosis	Cryptosporidium species	Watery diarrhea, dehydration, weakness, abdominal cramping
Giardiasis	Giardia lamblia	Diarrhea, abdominal pain, abdominal gas, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever
Toxoplasmosis	Toxoplasma species	Headache, lethargy, seizures, reduced cognitive function
Parasites/Metazoa
Ascariasis	Ascaris lumbricoides	Worms in stool or vomit, fever, cough, abdominal pain, bloody sputum, wheezing, skin rash, shortness of breath
Sarcocystiasis	Sarcosystis species	Fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain

References: USDA, 1992 (for diseases and responsible organisms). Symptom descriptions were obtained from various medical and public health service Internet Web sites. Pathogens in animal manure are a potential source of disease in humans and other animals. This list represents a sampling of diseases that may be transmittable to humans.

The treatment of public water supplies reduces the risk of infection via drinking water. However, protecting source water is the best way to ensure safe drinking water. Cryptosporidium parvum, a protozoan that can produce gastrointestinal illness, is a concern, since it is resistant to conventional treatment. Healthy people typically recover relatively quickly from such illnesses. However, they can be fatal in people with weakened immune systems such as the elderly and small children.

Runoff from fields where manure has been applied can be a source of pathogen contamination, particularly if a rainfall event occurs soon after application. The natural filtering and adsorption action of soils typically strands microorganisms in land-applied manure near the soil surface (Crane et al., 1980). This protects underlying groundwater, but increases the likelihood of runoff losses to surface waters. Depending on soil type and operating conditions, however, subsurface flows can be a mechanism for pathogen transport.

Soil type, manure application rate, and soil pH are dominating factors in bacteria survival (Dazzo et al., 1973; Ellis and McCalla, 1976; Morrison and Martin, 1977; Van Donsel et al., 1967). Experiments on land-applied poultry manure have indicated that the population of fecal organisms decreases rapidly as the manure is heated, dried, or exposed to sunlight on the soil surface (Crane et al., 1980).

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Pathogens

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