Agricultural employment is plagued with one of the highest levels of mortality among occupational groups in the United States, making the health and safety of farmers, farm workers, and farm residents a leading priority for epidemiologists, occupational health and safety professionals, rural health providers, public health practitioners, and extension agents and educators. Satisfying a growing need for a textbook on this significant aspect of public health, Agricultural Medicine is the first comprehensive textbook and reference for students of public health and health professionals in the field of rural medicine. Agricultural health and safety engages a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals, engineers, sociologists, epidemiologists, and psychologists for whom this book is an overdue yet essential reference. The authors bring a combined 60 years of practice, research, teaching, and scholarship in agricultural medicine to the design and content of this book. Their farm background and ownership add practicality and relevancy to their presentation. An overview of the industry and workforce-agricultural production in the global economy, demographics of the workforce, regulations, statistics, and organizations targeting agricultural health and safety-provides context for the broad but thorough coverage of diseases, infectious and toxic agents, and potential injuries to which agricultural populations are exposed daily.

Kelley J. Donham, MS, DVM, DACVPM; Professor and Associate Head for Agricultural Medicine; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health; Director, Iowa’s Center for Agricultural Safety and Health; College of Public Health, University of Iowa.

Anders Thelin, MD, PhD, an occupational medicine physician specializing in agricultural medicine.

Dedication

ix

About the Authors

ix

Foreword

xii

Preface

xiii

Introduction and Overview

3

(26)

Introduction

3

(4)

What Is an Agricultural Health and Safety Professional?

7

(1)

Training of an Agricultural Health Practitioner and Agricultural Health and Safety Specialist

8

(4)

Demographics of the Agricultural Work Force

12

(1)

Breakdown of the Production Agricultural Work Force and Types of Farms

12

(3)

Other Occupations Exposed to the Agricultural Environment

15

(1)

General Health Status of the Agricultural Population

15

(1)

Occupational Health Status of the Agricultural Work Force

16

(1)

Occupational Injury and Illness Statistics

17

(1)

Specific Occupational Health and Safety Risks and Conditions

18

(3)

Agricultural Health and Safety Organizations

21

(1)

Megatrends in Agriculture and Health Safety Implications

22

(3)

Summary

25

(4)

Special Risk Populations in Agricultural Communities

29

(36)

Introduction

29

(1)

Women

29

(5)

Youth

34

(6)

Elderly

40

(5)

Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers

45

(6)

Anabaptists

51

(14)

Agricultural Respiratory Diseases

65

(80)

Section 1: Overview

65

(2)

Section 2: Agricultural Structures and Respiratory Hazards

67

(11)

Section 3: Agricultural Dusts

78

(17)

Section 4: Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and the Respiratory Disease Hazards

95

(13)

Section 5: Oxides of Nitrogen (``Silo Gas'')

108

(4)

Section 6: Applied Agricultural Chemicals

112

(2)

Section 7: Zoonotic Infections Causing Respiratory Disease

114

(1)

Section 8: General Preventive Measures

114

(3)

Section 9: Measurement of Agricultural Dusts and Gases

117

(4)

Section 10: Personal Respiratory Protective Equipment

121

(24)

Agricultural Skin Diseases

145

(16)

Introduction

145

(1)

Contact Dermatitis

145

(6)

Infectious Dermatitis

151

(1)

Arthropod-Induced Dermatitis

152

(3)

Sunlight-Induced Dermatoses

155

(2)

Skin Disorders Related to Heat, Cold, and Humidity

157

(4)

Cancer in Agricultural Populations

161

(12)

Introduction

161

(1)

General Description of Cancer Rates in the Farm Population

161

(3)

Protective and Risk Factors and Mechanisms of Causation

164

(2)

Details of Epidemiology and Agricultural Risk Factors for Specific Cancer Types

166

(2)

Cancer in Special Agricultural Populations

168

(2)

Social Medicine Aspects of Cancers in Farmers

170

(1)

Prevention of Cancer in Farm Populations

170

(3)

Health Effects of Agricultural Pesticides

173

(26)

Introduction

173

(1)

Definition of Pesticides

173

(1)

History

174

(1)

Frequency of Pesticide Poisonings

174

(1)

How Workers Are Exposed to Pesticides

175

(3)

Insecticides: Classes and Toxic Mechanisms

178

(4)

Classes and Toxic Mechanisms of Herbicides

182

(3)

Diagnosis and Treatment of Insecticide Poisoning

185

(1)

Diagnosis and Treatment of Herbicide Poisonings

186

(4)

Classes and Toxic Mechanisms of Fumigants

190

(1)

Treatment of Fumigant Poisonings

191

(2)

General Strategies for Prevention of Pesticide Poisoning

193

(3)

Summary

196

(3)

General Environmental Hazards in Agriculture

199

(32)

Introduction

199

(1)

Water Quality

200

(2)

Sources and Substances of Water Pollution from Agricultural Operations

202

(5)

Environmental Health Effects of Water Pollution

207

(3)

Air Quality

210

(11)

Animal Feeding Operations

221

(1)

Environmental Health Issues

222

(1)

Community Health Issues

223

(8)

Musculoskeletal Diseases in Agriculture

231

(32)

Introduction

231

(1)

Definitions

231

(1)

Work-Related Disorders

232

(1)

Epidemiology

232

(1)

Chronic Pain Conditions

232

(3)

Injuries of the Neck

235

(2)

Injuries of the Spine

237

(5)

Injuries of the Shoulder

242

(2)

Injuries of the Elbow, Wrist, and Hand

244

(4)

Injuries of the Hip

248

(2)

Injuries of the Knee, Ankle, and Foot

250

(3)

General Disorders, Infections, and Reactive Arthritis

253

(10)

Physical Factors Affecting Health in Agriculture

263

(18)

Noise and Hearing Loss

263

(6)

Vibration and Injuries Related to Vibration

269

(3)

Disorders Due to Heat and Cold

272

(4)

Climate and Physical and Mental Capability

276

(5)

Psychosocial Conditions in Agriculture

281

(22)

Introduction and Overview

281

(1)

Stress and Stress-Related Health Disorders

282

(12)

Alcohol-Related Health Problems

294

(1)

Suicides and Suicide Prevention

295

(8)

Acute Agricultural Injuries

303

(38)

Introduction

303

(1)

Agricultural Injury Statistics and Epidemiology

303

(12)

Medical Considerations of Acute Agricultural Injuries

315

(1)

First on the Scene/First Aid---General

316

(2)

First Responders and Emergency Medical Treatment, Rescue/Extrication, and Transport

318

(2)

Emergency Room---General

320

(1)

Primary Care---General

320

(1)

Secondary/Tertiary Care---General

321

(1)

Rehabilitation---General

321

(1)

Hazards and Injuries

322

(15)

Summary

337

(4)

Veterinary Biological and Therapeutic Occupational Hazards

341

(16)

Introduction

341

(1)

Veterinary Biologicals

342

(2)

Antibiotics

344

(7)

Hormones Used for Growth Promotion

351

(1)

Hormones Used in Veterinary Obstetrics

352

(1)

Other Veterinary Pharmaceuticals

352

(1)

Control and Prevention

353

(4)

Zoonotic Diseases: An Overview

357

(24)

Introduction

357

(1)

Classification of Zoonotic Infections

358

(23)

Prevention of Illness and Injury in Agricultural Populations

381

(30)

Introduction

381

(1)

The Farm Worker

382

(1)

Types of Prevention Strategies

383

(24)

Summary

407

(4)

Index

411

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.