5 months Ago
In some areas where the concentration of livestock farms is high, such as Noord-Brabant and Noord-Limburg, the incidence of pneumonia between 2014 and 2016 was as much as 60 per cent higher than in areas with fewer farms. Other research has also found that people living near goat farms have compromised lung function and are more heavily affected by coronavirus infections.
Not one such cause, but a "mixture of factors"
The Health Council says in its report that there is not one cause of illness, but a mix of reasons that feed into it. There were already some associations that a 2018 review had identified, but the new research gives a more comprehensive view. But recommendations for reducing risks have not yet been issued. The findings will be part of their second report of the study, which is anticipated later this year.
The government is relying on the full report before it can act
They do want to wait for the final report before considering further steps, ministers Femke Wiersma (Agriculture, BBB) and Daniëlle Jansen (Public Health, NSC) said. "Both parts are necessary for informing the next steps," they said in a letter to Parliament.
Parliament's lower house, the Tweede Kamer, has already approved a motion to block new goat farms or expansion of existing ones as a result of the health-related concerns. In several Dutch provinces, new goat farm permits aren't being issued at present, though the national approach remains undecided by the caretaker Cabinet.
