One Health Microbial
Healthy Rural Living
The rapid global transition towards increasingly intensive and high-input agriculture and livestock farming has led to deterioration of ecosystems and raised questions about potential impacts on human health.
Potential health effects from inhalation or ingestion of air, drinking water, or food contaminated by farm emissions are diverse and include zoonotic infections or infections with antimicrobial resistant bacteria. But it may also enhance the risk of non-communicable disorders due to air pollution or pesticide exposure.
In addition to adverse health effects, studies have also shown protective effects of farming environments on the development of allergies. An important question for future sustainable agriculture is how to stimulate new forms of (livestock) farming with reduced emissions, while taking into account farm animal health and welfare.
Antimicrobial Resistance
Bacterial infections are a challenge to human and animal health, generally treated with antimicrobial therapies. However, the increase in antimicrobial resistance poses one of the major risks to health care worldwide. At IRAS, we collaborate in One Health research consortia aiming to increase the understanding of the risk factors and spread of mobile genetic elements that carry antimicrobial resistance genes by collecting and analyzing relevant samples of humans, the environment and animals.