[USCC] Open composting and disease vectors

[Edo McGowan]

The following may be of interest to those of you in the composting industry and may more specifically relate to open compost operations that are near or up-wind from urban areas. The case in mind is the open compost operation that was established and then later shut down by court order in Adalanto, California. The issues included uncontrolled flies. With a good wind, flies can travel for miles.

A new study which appeared in the New Zealand Medical Journal cited finding that flies act as serious as mechanical vectors of transmitted disease (nothing really new here). This discussion included disease attributable to the high levels of campylobacter transmission via flies and disease rates in New Zealand, including the high rate of campylobacteriosis (up to 14,000 reported cases annually). Laboratory scientist Ben Harris, who co-wrote the paper with research consultant Warrick Nelson, indicated that the occurrence of the illness was between 10 and 20 times higher than that reported because most people did nott report food poisoning. Thus the numbers might be between 140,000 to 280,000 cases---not an insignificant number 

The bacteria is transferred through fly fecal deposits on common surfaces such as hand rails and door handles. Campylobacter deposited on fingertips can survive for at least an hour, and have been recovered from dry surfaces 24 hours after being deposited. 

The issue of dust travel is also important here. Dust from these open operations have been linked to illnesses. Further, dust coats surfaces of homes and offices. Gerba and Rusin have published on the transmission of pathogens via finger to mouth. Gerba, unpublished work, also notes that contamination can be spread through the house by human contact with objects.

 
Cheers---------------Edo