Zoonotic Risks of Rodents in Livestock Production

Summary

Besides economic losses through spoilage of feed or structural damage, rodent presence on
livestock farms can have serious consequences for public and animal health. Direct contact
between humans and rodents can be a way of pathogen transmission, but rodents can also
transfer (zoonotic) pathogens via livestock to consumers of livestock products. As prevention of food safety hazards is a priority throughout the food chain, the main aim of the work presented in this thesis was to obtain a better understanding of the risk of on-farm rodent presence in the Netherlands.