Human diarrhea infections associated with domestic animal husbandry: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Domestic animal husbandry, a common practice globally, can lead to zoonotic transmission of enteric pathogens. However, this risk has received little attention to date. This systematic review and meta-analysis examines the evidence for an association between domestic exposure to food-producing animals and cases of human diarrhea and specific enteric infections. We performed a systematic review of available literature to examine domestic livestock and poultry as risk factors for diarrhea and applied pre-determined quality criteria. Where possible, we carried out meta-analysis of specific animal-pathogen pairs. We found consistent evidence of a positive association between exposure to domestic food-producing animals and diarrheal illness across a range of animal exposures and enteric pathogens. Out of 29 studies included in the review, 20 (69.0%) reported a positive association between domestic animal exposure and diarrhea. Domestic exposure to poultry revealed a substantial association with human campylobacteriosis (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.90-3.93). Our results suggest that domestic poultry and livestock exposures are associated with diarrheal illness in humans. Failure to ascertain the microbial cause of disease may mask this effect. Exposure to domestic animals should be considered a risk factor for human diarrheal illness and additional studies may identify potential mitigation strategies to address this risk.

Soil Ingestion is Associated with Child Diarrhea in an Urban Slum of Nairobi, Kenya

“…This adds to the growing body of knowledge that existing WASH interventions that target improving water access, toilet/latrine access, and handwashing may not eliminate children's exposure to fecal contamination in the domestic environment. 9,10,22,23 Reported soil ingestion was the highest among children aged 6-24 months, which is consistent with previous studies evaluating child geophagy 10 and child mouthing behavior. 24 In addition, no soil ingestion was reported for children younger than 6 months, which is likely due to children being relatively inactive at this age.…”

Relations between Household Livestock Ownership, Livestock Disease, and Young Child Growth

“…First, it is possible that sick household livestock serve as an indicator for poor overall household health. A recent study from the same cohort showed that livestock disease reports were significantly associated with human disease reports within the same household (24), which is supported by previous studies of animal husbandry (35). A second possibility is that sick livestock serve as source of zoonotic pathogens in the household.…”

Animal Husbandry Practices and Perceptions of Zoonotic Infectious Disease Risks Among Livestock Keepers in a Rural Parish of Quito, Ecuador

“…6,12 Existing studies show that contact with food-producing animals such as livestock and poultry increase the risk of diarrhea in children. 13 Studies have revealed several common enteric pathogen-animal combinations and identified positive associations between chicken ownership and transmission of Campylobacter spp. 14,15 and Salmonella spp.…”