Hog dust + lungs = dangerous combination

Pigs will be pigs.









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A UNMC group is hard at work on an investigation into lung disease and hog farming.
They eat, drink and poop, and when hundreds are confined in a closed hog facility the dust that’s stirred up contains bacteria that cause lung disease in farm workers.

Physicians report an increase in upper and lower respiratory problems among farm workers, who might spend all day in the loud and dusty confinement facilities. It’s estimated that more than one-third of those who work in swine and dairy facilities develop lung disease related to dust exposure.

Read a story from the latest edition of UNMC Discover about UNMC’s Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health’s investigation of the fundamental mechanics of chronic inflammatory lung disease associated with inhalation of organic dust.

3 comments

  1. devon james calde says:

    i work on a hog farm and this dust from the hogs is bad. is this a work related injury because it is hard to breath

  2. T E says:

    I started working for iowa select. My lungs were shot after a few days! coughing up blood, ect. Make sure to wear a mask.

  3. Heidi says:

    I've worked off an on in confinments for 15yrs or better.. And don't understand why it's not mandatory to wear a respirator. I can't breathe without it and wish I was notified of the lung disease that comes along with the job.!

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