Respirable Aerosol Production and Reduction of Avian Influenza Transmission Risk during Chicken Processing, Bangladesh
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: In Bangladesh, influenza A(H5N1) viruses are endemic in poultry. Processing infected chickens can aerosolize viruses, increasing the risk for human infections. We evaluated particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) mass concentration during slaughtering and defeathering methods used in live bird markets in Bangladesh to identify solutions to reduce aerosol exposure. We slaughtered 675 chickens using cones and barrels with 3 lid types and defeathered 45 chickens using a defeathering machine with 5 lid types. We interviewed 3 slaughterers to understand method preference. For slaughtering, barrels with a solid or star-cut lid reduced PM 2.5 mass concentrations by 65%–73% compared with uncovered barrels. For defeathering, machines fully covered by a solid lid or lid with a hole and pivot door reduced PM 2.5 mass concentrations by 50% compared with machines with no lid. Slaughterers preferred barrels covered with solid lids and defeathering machines covered with solid or hinged lids. Those methods might reduce aerosol exposure during poultry processing.
Source: Emerging infectious diseases
Authors: Nadia Ali Rimi, Md. Khaled Saifullah, Md. Habibullah Fahad, Kamal Hossain, Rebeca Sultana, Ireen Sultana Shanta, David E. Swayne, Syed Mohammad Golam Mortaza, Md. Giasuddin, Md. Zakir Hassan, Christopher LeBoa, Debashish Biswas, Mahbubur Rahman, Joshua A. Mott, Erin D. Kennedy, William G. Lindsley
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7153030933