Should any injury occur, immediately contact the unit supervisor and apply emergency first-aid. For serious injuries, the 911 system may be activated from anywhere in Tucson.

EXAMPLE: Joe catches his hand on a nail and decides not to report the accident because it is "only a scratch". Two weeks later, Joe is admitted to the hospital with abdominal cramping. Joe dies and the pathologist determines that Joe had tetanus. ( Had Joe reported the scratch to his supervisor, he would have been referred to his physician, who would have made certain that Joe's vaccination status for tetanus was current).

If equipment and facilities are not maintained in tip-top condition, working with farm animals can be dangerous. The largest threat to personnel safety is physical injury due to the large size and weight of most farm species. Having a halter, fence, or chute break at the wrong time can lead to serious injuries for both the handler and the animal.

A common complaint of persons working in agricultural settings is back fatigue or back strain. It is advised that all persons wear back support devices when performing their duties at the university farms. The numerous jobs which require bending, twisting, lifting, shoving and throwing are all prime candidates for causing back injuries. To be fitted with a back support device, you should ask the unit supervisor. In addition, Department of Risk Management offers the class, "Back Safety"; call 621-1790 to arrange attendance.

Another potential health problem is accidental exposure to pesticides and other chemical agents. Read the label before using the pesticide or chemical, because safety equipment such as gloves, rubber boots and plastic aprons or jumpsuits may be advised. Should an exposure occur, apply emergency first aid per the instructions on the label and then contact the closest unit supervisor.

Department of Risk Management offers the class, "General Laboratory Chemical Hygiene Training," call 621-7691 to arrange attendance.

Zoonotic Disease Potential -  A zoonotic disease is one that can be transmitted from a vertebrate animal to a humane.  Although it is not common for personnel to become sick from a disease agent carried by the farm animals, called "zoonotic" diseases, the risk is ever present.

Many bacteria and viruses are transmitted to humans by the oral route. This means, that if your hands have been contaminated by touching something loaded with bacteria or viral particles and you do not wash your hands, you can inadvertently introduce the bacteria or viral particles into your own mouth when you do things such as: touch food as you put it into your mouth, rub the corner of your mouth, smoke a cigarette, or even put on chapstick!

The list of possible zoonotic diseases is quite extensive. A few of these diseases are discussed in this module, either because of their serious nature, or because they are more common in agricultural settings such as the university farms.

BRUCELLOSIS is caused by a bacteria, Brucella sp. which in horses usually localize in the muscles, tendons and joints, although abortion has been reported. When the organism invades the shoulder joint capsule, swelling occurs and the joint capsule may rupture. Once the joint opens, pus producing bacteria usually invade the joint to cause a suppurative condition called "poll evil" or "fistula of the withers". The drainage from the wound contains huge numbers of the Brucella organism which are infectious to persons who touch or inhale the bacteria. Rigorous hand washing procedures should be observed when handling any drainage or body fluid from an animal suspected of carrying this organism. Should any animal abort, one should wear gloves to handle the placenta and fetal tissues and be certain to wash hands thoroughly after removing the gloves. In man the disease can be disabling: recurrent fevers, infection of the bony spine scoliosis, and infection of testes. In America, the infection is no longer common in horses, probably because so many states are now free of Brucellosis in their cattle populations. However in southern Arizona, the risk of exposure to Brucella sp. remains high, since the disease remains a problem throughout Mexico and many infected horses, cattle, and goats move freely across the border.

TETANUS is caused by a bacteria called Clostridium tetani. The bacteria is found worldwide and is a normal inhabitant of the intestinal tract of man and other animals (in other words, it will be found in feces and manure). The infective bacterial spores can remain in soil for many years. Spores usually enter the body through a puncture wound contaminated with soil or manure. However, many human cases have followed injuries considered too trivial for medical attention and in some cases there is absolutely no record of a physical injury or wound. The case fatality ranges from 30-90%. The incubation period is quite varied but averages 3-21 days. A common early sign suggestive of tetanus is abdominal rigidity. Prevention for personnel includes maintaining adequate vaccination and reporting any injury to the unit supervisor. Active immunization with tetanus toxoid gives durable protection for at least 10 years; after the initial series has been completed (usually in childhood), single booster doses elicit high levels of immunity.

RABIES is universally fatal! Transmission occurs through a bite, scratch or abrasion from an infected animal. Farm animals usually are bitten by a rapid dog, coyote, cat, raccoon, skunk or bat, or an infected herdmate. Rabid animals of all species exhibit signs of central nervous system disturbances once they are past the early incubation stage. Unfortunately, an animal in the first stages of the disease may show no signs at all and yet still be infective. Sometimes, infected horses bite other animals or people at the slightest provocation and some infected cattle will butt objects or act like they have something caught in their throat. Report all animals showing central nervous symptoms to the Farm Animal Veterinarian and the unit supervisor! Report any bite wound or scratch to the unit supervisor immediately. Should rabies be suspected, the animal will be quarantined and tests completed to determine if the animal has the disease.

CRYPTOSPORIDIUM is a tiny, one celled parasite which invades the intestinal epithelium of many different species of animals and birds. Most normal, healthy individuals exposed to this parasite never show clinical symptoms but severe diarrhea may occur in the very young, the very old and those individuals which are sick or stressed. When severe diarrhea occurs, dehydration, weakness, collapse and death may occur. Treatment is aimed at moderating the symptoms and may or may not be effective.  At this time, there is not a specific, effective treatment for this parasite. Because the parasite can infect so many different species and survive for long periods of time outside the body in a cool and moist environment, control consists of isolating animals with diarrhea and observing good hand washing practices after handling infected animals and cleaning their pens.

TOXOPLASMOSIS is caused by a tiny, one celled parasite which can infect virtually all warm-blooded species and spread throughout the tissues of the body. The greatest threat is to pregnant females (women and other animals), since infection of the fetus may lead to abortion or severe birth defects. Many people and animals are infected at some time in their life but show no clinical disease and the organism stays dormant in body tissues. Thus, the cycle of infection is interrupted, unless another animal eats the body tissues containing these dormant organisms (if meat is properly cooked, the dormant organism in the tissues will not survive and is no longer infective). The parasite behaves in a different fashion in members of the cat family where the parasite multiplies in the intestinal wall and is shed in large numbers in the feces. Should the cat defecate near food or water, the animal which ingests the contaminated food or water may become infected. Infections of small children sometimes occur when they play in sandboxes in which an infected cat has defecated. Infections may also occur in those who garden in areas a cat has defecated. To prevent infection, people should only eat fully cooked meat and observe good hand washing procedures, particularly after changing litter boxes of cats or gardening. For livestock and horses, it is important to protect food and water from fecal contamination from cats and stray cats should be removed from the property. Should any animal abort, one should wear gloves to handle the placenta and aborted tissues and be certain to wash hands thoroughly after removing the gloves.

CAMPYLOBACTER or VIBRIOSIS is due to several Campylobacter sp. known to cause disease. People can become infected by contact with infected animals, by eating contaminated food or water, or by handling infected placentas. Should any animal abort, one should wear gloves to handle the placenta and aborted tissues and be certain to wash hands thoroughly after removing the gloves. The infection in people causes severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting but complications may include arthritis, convulsions and meningitis. There has been one case of a university farm worker being infected with this bacteria within the past few years.

LEPTOSPIROSIS is a bacteria which may be transmitted to humans by the urine of infected animals of all species. The organism may enter through minor skin lesions and probably via the conjunctiva. The disease in man ranges from unapparent infection to severe infection and death. Prevention includes early detection of the disease in the animals and personnel observing proper hand washing procedures.

COLIBACILLOSIS some Escherichia coli (E coli) strains are species-specific, others are not. The bacteria is shed in large numbers in the feces and humans may become infected by not washing hands well after handling manure from infected animals. Humans may also become infected by handling animal carcasses, or cuts of meat which have been contaminated by feces. Raw milk and undercooked meat products can also contain pathogenic strains. In humans, the enterotoxigenic strains may cause profuse and watery diarrhea, abdominal colic, vomiting, dehydration and death. In the horse, approximately 1% of abortions and 5% of deaths of newborns were due to E. coli. Prevention for humans includes: good hand washing procedures, not drinking raw milk or eating undercooked meat.

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