via Science Daily

New research by the European Respiratory Society has revealed that in areas with many livestock farms, people who suffer from asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) developed twice as much pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infections than people in regions with little livestock activity. The overall prevalence of pneumonia also was higher in high-density areas.

The researchers also found that the risk of contracting Q fever increased with the proximity of sheep farms or goat farms. An even stronger correlation was found between Q fever risk and the number of animals kept in the area, suggesting that mega farms could bring more environmental health risks than smaller farms.

Image Source: Jeff Weese