Bacteria in indoor and occupational settings

Abstract

Bacteria are ubiquitously present in our environment. As such, humans are constantly exposed to a multitude of bacterial species include those that are a part of our natural flora, as well as opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria. These constant challenges may potentially result in development of pathogenic diseases, as well as other adverse health effects. Some of these adverse events include development of respiratory diseases such as Farmer’s lung, subcutaneous and cutaneous infections, and bacteremia. Environmental exposures have the potential to affect all people equally, such as omnipresent endotoxin which may exert both protective and detrimental health effects, particularly in the context of respiratory health. In contrast, occupational exposures affect specific sections of the population. For example, workers in meat industries tend to exhibit a higher prevalence of colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus than the general population. This chapter will examine various environmental and occupational sources of bacterial exposures, as well as the potential health consequences of those exposures.