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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Air hygiene in stables. 1: Effects of stable design, ventila...
Equine veterinary journal1987; 19(5); 448-453; doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1987.tb02641.x

Air hygiene in stables. 1: Effects of stable design, ventilation and management on the concentration of respirable dust.

Abstract: The concentration of fungal spores, the main constituents of respirable dust in stables, is determined by rates of release from fodder and bedding and rate of clearance, principally by ventilation. This paper outlines the principles that govern the application of natural ventilation to the control of air hygiene in barns and individual boxes for horses. When release rates are low, ventilation rates over four air changes per hour are satisfactory. Ventilation was satisfactory in individual boxes but usually unsatisfactory in barns and specific recommendations are made for improvement. Preliminary observations in stables with clean, well-managed bedding revealed only small differences between straw, wood shavings and paper. In these circumstances hay tended to be the major source of respirable spores.
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Publication Date: 1987-09-01 PubMed ID: 3678188DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1987.tb02641.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article investigates how the design of stables, ventilation, and management practices influence the concentration of respirable dust, specifically fungal spores. It particularly emphasizes the importance of natural ventilation to control air hygiene and makes recommendations for improvements in larger barns.

Research Context and Objective

  • The study seeks to understand the role of stable design, ventilation, and management in controlling the concentration of fungal spores – the primary components of respirable dust in stables. Respirable dust has implications for the respiratory health of both humans and animals.

Role of Fodder and Bedding in Dust Release

  • The article highlights that the amount of fungal spores is determined by the release rates from fodder (feed for livestock) and bedding material, and by their clearance rate which is majorly controlled by ventilation methods.

Natural Ventilation and Air Hygiene

  • The paper stresses the significance of natural ventilation (airflow directed by exterior winds rather than by mechanical means) as one of the primary methods to control air hygiene within stables.
  • The ventilation rates over four air changes per hour are deemed satisfactory when release rates from fodder and bedding are low.
  • Individual boxes for horses had satisfactory ventilation, but this was usually not the case in larger barn structures.

Recommendations for Improvement

  • The study provides specific recommendations to improve the ventilation in barns to manage respirable dust effectively. However, it doesn’t detail what these recommendations are, suggesting that they might be included in the main article.

Types of Beddings and Respirable Dust

  • Preliminary observations from stables that had clean, well-managed bedding showed minimal differences in respirable spore concentration between different types of bedding, including straw, wood shavings, and paper.
  • In these cases, hay, used as fodder, was found to be the major source of respirable fungal spores.

Cite This Article

APA
Webster AJ, Clarke AF, Madelin TM, Wathes CM. (1987). Air hygiene in stables. 1: Effects of stable design, ventilation and management on the concentration of respirable dust. Equine Vet J, 19(5), 448-453. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1987.tb02641.x

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 0425-1644
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 19
Issue: 5
Pages: 448-453

Researcher Affiliations

Webster, A J
  • Department of Animal Husbandry, University of Bristol, Langford.
Clarke, A F
    Madelin, T M
      Wathes, C M

        MeSH Terms

        • Air Microbiology
        • Animals
        • Dust
        • Fungi / growth & development
        • Horse Diseases / etiology
        • Horses
        • Housing, Animal
        • Lung Diseases, Obstructive / etiology
        • Lung Diseases, Obstructive / veterinary
        • Mathematics
        • Spores, Fungal
        • Temperature
        • Ventilation

        Citations

        This article has been cited 10 times.
        1. Tumlin K, Liu S, Park JH. Framing Future of Work Considerations through Climate and Built Environment Assessment of Volunteer Work Practices in the United States Equine Assisted Services. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 Oct 2;18(19).
          doi: 10.3390/ijerph181910385pubmed: 34639685google scholar: lookup
        2. Payette F, Charlebois A, Fairbrother JH, Beauchamp G, Leclere M. Nicoletella semolina in the airways of healthy horses and horses with severe asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2021 May;35(3):1612-1619.
          doi: 10.1111/jvim.16140pubmed: 33942932google scholar: lookup
        3. Chong WY, Cox C, Secker TJ, Keevil CW, Leighton TG. Improving livestock feed safety and infection prevention: Removal of bacterial contaminants from hay using cold water, bubbles and ultrasound. Ultrason Sonochem 2021 Mar;71:105372.
          doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2020.105372pubmed: 33128950google scholar: lookup
        4. Dauvillier J, Ter Woort F, van Erck-Westergren E. Fungi in respiratory samples of horses with inflammatory airway disease. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Mar;33(2):968-975.
          doi: 10.1111/jvim.15397pubmed: 30576012google scholar: lookup
        5. Wålinder R, Riihimäki M, Bohlin S, Hogstedt C, Nordquist T, Raine A, Pringle J, Elfman L. Installation of mechanical ventilation in a horse stable: effects on air quality and human and equine airways. Environ Health Prev Med 2011 Jul;16(4):264-72.
          doi: 10.1007/s12199-010-0195-5pubmed: 21431789google scholar: lookup
        6. Riihimäki M, Raine A, Elfman L, Pringle J. Markers of respiratory inflammation in horses in relation to seasonal changes in air quality in a conventional racing stable. Can J Vet Res 2008 Oct;72(5):432-9.
          pubmed: 19086376
        7. Bouverat VMA, Naef J, Dolf G, Lamon I, Sage SE, Gerber V. Minimising feeding behaviour interference: A hay-shaker device to assess dust exposure in horses. Equine Vet J 2025 Nov;57(6):1666-1676.
          doi: 10.1111/evj.14492pubmed: 40028851google scholar: lookup
        8. Portaels J, Van Crombrugge E, Van Den Broeck W, Lagrou K, Laval K, Nauwynck H. Aspergillus Fumigatus Spore Proteases Alter the Respiratory Mucosa Architecture and Facilitate Equine Herpesvirus 1 Infection. Viruses 2024 Jul 27;16(8).
          doi: 10.3390/v16081208pubmed: 39205182google scholar: lookup
        9. Poochipakorn C, Joongpan W, Tongsangiam P, Phooseerit A, Leelahapongsathon K, Chanda M. The impact of strategic ventilation adjustments on stress responses in horses housed full-time in a vector-protected barn during the African horse sickness outbreak in Thailand. Anim Welf 2023;32:e19.
          doi: 10.1017/awf.2023.10pubmed: 38487428google scholar: lookup
        10. Diez de Castro E, Fernandez-Molina JM. Environmental Management of Equine Asthma. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jan 30;14(3).
          doi: 10.3390/ani14030446pubmed: 38338089google scholar: lookup
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