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Zoonotic Diseases are transmitted between farm animals and humans and can pose additional risks to those who are pregnant. According to the World Health Organization, more than half of all human pathogens are zoonotic and have represented nearly all emerging pathogens during the past decade. Farmers and farm workers have higher levels of risk for contracting zoonotic diseases because of the frequency of their exposure to animals. Prevention is the best defense. Understanding how the disease transmission process works, building a team and effectively communicating within that team are essential in preventing the spread of zoonotic disease. Women working in agriculture should be aware of the following special considerations during pregnancy, which animals are common carriers of zoonotic disease, symptoms of the disease(s), prevention measures, and pregnancy risks.
Summary: Zoonotic Diseases are transmitted between farm animals and humans and can pose additional risks to those who are pregnant. According to the World Health Organization, more than half of all human pathogens are zoonotic and have represented nearly all emerging pathogens during the past decade. Farmers and farmworkers have higher levels of risk for contracting zoonotic diseases because of the frequency of their exposure to animals. Prevention is the best defense. Understanding how the disease transmission process works, building a team, and effectively communicating within that team is essential in preventing the spread of zoonotic disease. Women working in agriculture should be aware of the following special considerations during pregnancy, which animals are common carriers of zoonotic disease, symptoms of the disease(s), prevention measures, and pregnancy risks.
Intended Audience: Supervisor or Managers: This training is intended primarily for health and safety professionals including but not limited to owner/operators, safety officers or specialists, managers, supervisors, safety coordinators, health safety and environmental interns, and any person or persons who serve as safety personnel in an agricultural setting.
Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to…
- Define zoonotic disease and identify various modes of transmission
- Identify a minimum of four significant zoonotic diseases affecting the production agricultural population
- Discuss warning signs and symptoms of major zoonotic diseases which have adverse effects for reproductive health
- Locate a minimum of three recommended educational resources for use in training an agricultural workforce
This material was produced under grant number SH-05068-SH8 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Knesha Rose-Davison, MPH
Public Health and Equity Director
AgriSafe Network
Mrs. Knesha Rose-Davison serves as the Public Health and Equity Director for AgriSafe Network. She has over 17 years of public health experience in maternal and child health, community health, health disparities, and advocacy. In May 2016, she joined AgriSafe Network as their health communications director, quickly growing into their public health programs director, where she managed employer-employee safety training for youth working in agriculture, opioid safety for health providers and agricultural workers, and women’s health topics. Knesha obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences (2002) and a Master of Public Health (2006) from Northern Illinois University. In June 2016, she obtained a certificate in Agricultural Medicine focused on rural occupational health, environmental health, and safety. She is a member of the American Public Health Association and the Louisiana Public Health Association, where she serves in leadership. Knesha is passionate about serving vulnerable populations and ensuring health access and equity, and she aligns all her work with these causes.
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As people spend more time outdoors, so do many insects and pests. Among them are ticks, which are small bloodsucking insects. The deer tick (also known as the black-legged tick) is found mainly in the Eastern and upper Midwestern regions of the U.S. It can cause conditions such as Lyme disease – the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. This webinar will cover the things you need to know to prevent tick bites when working outdoors, how to remove a tick if bitten, as well as the symptoms that can result from tick bites that may indicate Lyme Disease.
Summary: As people spend more time outdoors, so do many insects and pests. Among them are ticks, which are small bloodsucking insects. The deer tick (also known as the black-legged tick) is found mainly in the Eastern and upper Midwestern regions of the U.S. It can cause conditions such as Lyme disease – the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. This webinar will cover the things you need to know to prevent tick bites when working outdoors, how to remove a tick if bitten, as well as the symptoms that can result from tick bites that may indicate Lyme Disease.
Intended Audience: This course is intended for Ag professionals, educators, and individuals involved in working and recreation outdoors.
Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Gain an understanding of tick-borne disease control measures to reduce exposure risks among ag workers.
Describe Lyme Disease and its regional variation.
Describe symptoms of the different types of Lyme Disease.
Identify workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities for the workplace.
Abigail Kahrs, MPH
Program Coordinator
AgriSafe Network
Abigail Kahrs is the Program Coordinator for AgriSafe. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science as well as a Master’s in Public Health. She organizes, and coordinates educational opportunities and resources for farmers, farm labor contractors, farm workers, and their families on issues associated with health and work safety (pesticide safety, weather protection, and other occupational hazards) as well as overall agricultural worker family well-being. She primarily assists in the scheduling, training, and reporting of women’s health, infectious diseases, and youth safety programs at AgriSafe Network.
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Dr. Merendino will present the Importance of Foot Health in Agriculture in the first half of the presentation. He will address important practices and provide examples of foot health issues to take action on. Karen will finish with a presentation on her extension fieldwork with the ag/hort growers along with Dr. Merendino including a field day program in Volusia County (commercial fernery), then conclude her results from an Extension Sock Study assaying Merino Wool Socks.
Summary: Dr. Merendino will present the Importance of Foot Health in Agriculture in the first half of the presentation. He will address important practices and provide examples of foot health issues to take action on. Karen will finish with a presentation on her extension fieldwork with the ag/hort growers along with Dr. Merendino including a field day program in Volusia County (commercial fernery), then conclude her results from an Extension Sock Study assaying Merino Wool Socks.
Intended Audience: Agricultural/ Horticultural professionals, medical personnel, and the general public
Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to…
- Identify Best Management Practices for proper foot health.
- Identify common foot conditions that result from poor foot health.
- Gain knowledge on grower work boot and sock trait preferences as evidenced by actual trials and surveys
Anthony Merendino, DPM
Assistant Professor
UF Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute
Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, UF, UF Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute
Dr. Merendino earned his medical degree from Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine in Miami. Following medical school, he completed his residency in podiatric surgery at Kern Hospital for Special Surgery in Warren, Michigan. His inspiration for becoming a physician started when he was young. He experienced the battle his grandparents had with the effects of diabetes, which eventually led to the loss of limbs and life. This formed his desire and focus to reduce the effects of diabetes and other diseases of the foot and ankle.
His goal is to treat patients and educate them on the conditions they face. When his patients understand why a disease is affecting their foot and ankle, they become more involved in their care plan. Outside of medicine, he enjoys spending time with his family biking, and hiking.
Karen Stauderman, MS
Commercial Horticulture Agent III
University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Services, Extension Volusia County
Originally from Oregon, Karen moved to Florida in 1988 where she began work as a research scientist and a Commercial Horticulture agent with the University of Florida. Karen holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Plant Pathology and Horticulture from Oregon State University and a master’s in Entomology from the University of Florida. In 1995, she along with her husband, started a U-pick strawberry farm, restaurant, vineyard, and winery. She instructs on pesticide education and works directly with the Cut Foliage Greens, citrus, sports turf, and alternative crop industries for Volusia County in Central Florida.
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Foresters and loggers work in the most hazardous industries with high job-related injury, illness, and fatality rates. This workforce faces unique environmental exposures, ergonomic challenges, and health disparities across all ages. The last comprehensive literature review in forestry health and safety for NIOSH was completed in 2012. Under a NIOSH IPA project, AgriSafe conducted a forestry health and safety literature review for publications from 2012 to 2022. The objectives of this review were 1) uncover the health and safety issues currently facing the forestry and logging workforce, 2) identify any new trends or topics in the literature, 3) identify areas of training and health needs 4) identify healthcare access issues impacting the forestry workforce. Final results of this project will be shared with the audience. Findings in this project will contribute to NIOSH’s priorities for forestry occupational health and safety and the literature. The literature review will inform and prioritize future forestry training needs through AgriSafe’s OSHA forestry training projects.
Summary: Foresters and loggers work in the most hazardous industries with high job-related injury, illness, and fatality rates. This workforce faces unique environmental exposures, ergonomic challenges, and health disparities across all ages. The last comprehensive literature review in forestry health and safety for NIOSH was completed in 2012. Under a NIOSH IPA project, AgriSafe conducted a forestry health and safety literature review for publications from 2012 to 2022. The objectives of this review were 1) uncover the health and safety issues currently facing the forestry and logging workforce, 2) identify any new trends or topics in the literature, 3) identify areas of training and health needs 4) identify healthcare access issues impacting the forestry workforce. Final results of this project will be shared with the audience. Findings in this project will contribute to NIOSH’s priorities for forestry occupational health and safety and the literature. The literature review will inform and prioritize future forestry training needs through AgriSafe’s OSHA forestry training projects.
Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to understand…
- Summarize the findings of the literature review.
- Identify areas of training and health needs in health and safety for forestry workers.
Intended Audience: This course is intended for agricultural safety/forestry professionals working in the industry, extension, academia, or safety centers and workers in forestry and logging, including logging owners and first-line supervisors/managers of forestry workers.
Tara Haskins, DNP, MSN, RN, AHN-BC
Total Farmer Health Director, AgriSafe Network
Tara Haskins is a registered nurse with 33 years of clinical experience. She holds a Masters in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice in Forensics. For the last 12 years, she has been a nurse educator in psychiatric-mental health concepts. Tara has experience in crisis/suicide intervention and addiction treatment in both outpatient and inpatient settings. She is a 2018 AgriSafe Nurse Scholar graduate. As a National Rural Health Association Fellow, she collaborated on a policy paper on disaster preparedness and response in rural communities. Tara continues to advocate at a national level for rural health services and programming.
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Veterans deal with a whole host of disabilities, traumas, and transitional issues following military service. Agriculture can serve as a solution to many veteran issues through professional training to support career goals and therapeutic activities to support overall wellness of the veteran and their families. Crosscutting programs like Heroes to Hives seek to address these multifaceted needs through professional training in beekeeping and transpersonal wellness practices within the course that seek to utilize bees and the interaction with them as modalities for positive health outcomes. In this session, we will discuss how Heroes to Hives delivers wellness opportunities and practices to their students.
Summary: Veterans deal with a whole host of disabilities, traumas, and transitional issues following military service. Agriculture can serve as a solution to many veteran issues through professional training to support career goals and therapeutic activities to support overall wellness of the veteran and their families. Crosscutting programs like Heroes to Hives seek to address these multifaceted needs through professional training in beekeeping and transpersonal wellness practices within the course that seek to utilize bees and the interaction with them as modalities for positive health outcomes. In this session, we will discuss how Heroes to Hives delivers wellness opportunities and practices to their students.
Intended Audience: Health Care Providers, Ag Educators, and Veteran Service Providers
Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Participants will learn about the Heroes to Hives program’s integrative training program.
- Participants will understand the value of integrating transpersonal practices into agricultural settings for wellness.
- Participants will learn how collaboration with the VA can lead to new wellness opportunities for veterans using VA care.
- Participants will learn about the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program’s Professional Development grant opportunity.
Adam Ingrao, Ph.D., B.S.
Co-Founder and National Director
Heroes to Hives
Dr. Adam Ingrao holds a B.S. in Agriculture and Plant Science from California Polytechnic State University and a Ph.D. in Entomology from Michigan State University. He is the Co-Founder and National Director for the Heroes to Hives program and an Outreach Specialist at Michigan Food and Farming Systems. Dr. Ingrao has been working in agriculture for 30 years and with honey bees professionally for 17 years, teaching beekeeping to audiences around the world. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on agriculture topics, is a regular contributor to Bee Culture magazine, and was most recently a co-author of the textbook Honey Bee Medicine for the Veterinary Practitioner.
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