The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine & Health/Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing based in Cooperstown, NY is conducting a farm worker health needs assessment to help them better address worker health and safety needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Read more…]
Don’t Let Your Guard Down With Farm Worker Health
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical, indeed essential, role of farm labor in getting food from farm to plate. However, health concerns should not stop with a negative COVID test, especially if an employee or family member is exhibiting any of the ‘flu-like’ symptoms that are associated with corona virus.
A recent farm call was a reminder that working outside, especially during this July heat wave, exposes workers to a number of potential health risks that may present very similar symptoms and can be equally health, and even life, threatening. Recently published studies from the Rutgers Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences suggest growing numbers of people worldwide are at risk of heat stress and related complications, including farmers and ag laborers working in high heat and humid conditions.
Harvesting and other activities along field edges, including going into the woods instead of using a portable bathroom facilities, also lead to a high risk of tick bites, which can also carry a number of diseases, many as or more debilitating than Lyme disease that most are now aware of. A recent story at Today.com suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic might lead to more tick-borne disease this year, quoting Rutgers entomologist and assistant professor Alvaro Toledo at the Center for Vector Biology with suggestions how to prevent tick bites.
It is critical for your employees’ health and well-being to get proper diagnosis and treatment for all of these ailments. This table illustrates how many tick-born diseases, as well as heat stress, all have potential symptoms very similar to those of COVID-19. Each is linked to additional resources at the CDC. In many cases, it may be the ‘other symptoms’ that may be unique to each disease and assist a medical practitioner with correct identification and lead to better verification with further testing.
Disease > Symptoms v |
COVID-19 | Heat Stress | Lyme Disease | Ehrlichiosis | Babe- biosis | Powas-san | Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever |
Vector* | Human | Black-legged Tick (a.k.a. Deer Tick) (I. scapularis) | Lone Star Tick (A. americanum) & Black-legged | Black-legged Tick | Ground hog(I. cookei), Squirrel (I. marxi) & Black-legged Ticks | American Dog Tick (D. variabilis) | |
Fever or chills | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
Cough | X | X | |||||
Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing | X | ||||||
Fatigue | X | X | X | X | |||
Muscle/body aches | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
Headache | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
New loss of taste or smell | X | ||||||
Sore throat | X | ||||||
Congestion or runny nose | X | ||||||
Nausea/vomiting | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
Diarrhea | X | X | |||||
Rash | X | X | X | ||||
Other symptoms | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
Potentially Deadly/Disabling |
X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
*NOTE – main vector listed, but many tick born diseases may be vectored by other species of ticks, or different species causing same disease may be carried by different tick species.
Make Sure Your Farm or Ranch Counts – And is Counted!
Did you know that according to the 2019 State Agriculture Overview for NJ, 3,900 acres of peaches yielded 5/tons per acre at a value of over $25.6 million dollars? Or that 3,500 acres of peppers were harvested in 2019, with a value of $45.8 million dollars? Or that 9,300 acres of harvested blueberries were valued at $85.3 million dollars in 2019? And in 2018, NJ ranked 4th nationwide in cranberry and peach production, and third in bell peppers?
Hackettstown Livestock Auction Results for July 14, 2020
This auction sells: lambs, sheep, goats, calves, beef cattle, pigs, rabbits, and all types of heavy fowl. Auctions are held every Tuesday with the first sale beginning at 10:30 am and ending with the last sale at 5:30 pm. Hay, straw, grain, and firewood are also for sale.
Hackettstown Livestock Auction
Farm Fresh Eggs available for purchase by the case (30 doz.) or by the flat (2&1/2 doz.) in the main office Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. Also available some Monday’s and Friday’s but please call office first (908)-852-0444.
Click for auction results:
Hackettstown Livestock Auction Results for July 14, 2020
NJ Ag & Health Urge Use of Free COVID-19 Testing For Farm Workers
Earlier this week, NJ Secretary of Ag Douglas Fisher released this attached letter, co-signed by Dept of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, urging all growers with farm labor to take advantage of opportunities to help protect your employees from COVID-19.
As the letter states,
“One program that is being implemented FREE OF CHARGE for all farms is a COVID-19 testing and education program through Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and local health departments. Along with free testing, the program provides education and other related support services. [Read more…]