Grace Bonnett, a summer student from the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health, will be investigating lung health for poultry workers in Huron and Perth Counties this summer.
She said because they are exposed to dust that contains bacteria, “we’ll be looking at that to create prevention measures and look at things like mask-fitting, but specifically with poultry workers in the barns (where) there’s a high percentage of bacteria that is inhaled on a daily basis.”
Bonnett will also be looking for ways to detect issues before the impact on health is serious.
“So it’s trying to reduce the risk, and early detection is really important because Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder develops gradually and it’s often not noticed until it’s in significant stages, at which point lung health has deteriorated so much that it’s hard to come back from,” she told CKNX Wingham reporter Bob Montgomery.
