Disease Stock

Does the health of farmers depend on the health of their livestock? For the first time scientists have quantified the relationship between the health of farmers with the health of their livestock. A recent study tracked 1,500 households and their livestock in 10 villages in western Kenya. They found for every 10 cases of animal illness or death that occurred, the probability of human sickness in the same household increased by 31 per cent. "Our findings help to understand, in quantitative terms, the complex pathways that link livestock health to the health and welfare of the humans who own them," Kenya-based lead author Thumbi Mwangi, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Washington State University's Paul G Allen School for Global Animal Health, said.

Source

Down To Earth, June, 2015