Transmission of bacteria between livestock and house sparrows and the potential pathogenic risk to farm workers

Project Title: Transmission of Bacteria between Livestock and House Sparrows and the Potential Pathogenic Risk to Farm Workers

PI:  David Westneat, PhD, Professor, Morgan School of Biological Sciences, University of Kentucky

Relevance: Through this pilot effort, antibiotic resistant bacteria were discovered in the feces of birds captured on livestock farms. The number of antibiotic resistant organisms was associated with the use of antibiotics used prophylactically in animal feed. The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistant organisms in the environment is a growing concern. The results of this pilot study were used to develop a larger study of antibiotic resistant organisms colonizing the intestinal flora of workers on farms.