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Can Disease and virus's be passed by compost?
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Posted by
berryman135678 (
My Page) on
Wed, Jun 22, 11 at 13:50
If one of my kids has the flu, I then compost something they only half ate or touched, can the virus be passed by using the compost then in the garden, through the plants, we will then in turn eat??
Always wondered and is that the reason restaurants don't have bins?
Some people dream of being rich I dream of rich compost. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Can Disease and virus's be passed by compost?
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| No. The 'bug' needs a host and as long as there is no animal matter in the compost it dies off in a short time. American restuarants don't but many in 3rd world countries do compost waste. Notice that food contamination is almost always fecal bacteria not vrus. |
RE: Can Disease and virus's be passed by compost?
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| I agree with rain1950. Virus need a host for parasite and development, which is not in compost. But bacteria dose. |
RE: Can Disease and virus's be passed by compost?
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| Actually, there are a good many American restaurants that DO compost.....it just depends on where you are located and the philosophical bent of that area towards composting and recycling. I can name several in my area that both recycle and compost their food wastes. A properly hot compost for a sufficient time period will kill any pathogens. |
RE: Can Disease and virus's be passed by compost?
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Simply because someone with some disease touches some food, but does not eat it, there is no way the disease pathogen is passed onto that food and you can compost it just as you would compost anything else. Now food that has been in this person might well have the disease pathogen.
If that person coughed or sneezed onto the food maybe, possibly, some disease pathogens were transmitted to that food but since those do need temperatures in the range of our body temperatures to survive and grow it is unlikely they would survive on that food for long. |
RE: Can Disease and virus's be passed by compost?
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| I still am a bit squeamish about composting used tissues, though! Esp. since my compost pile doesn't get hot (rely on the worms). |
RE: Can Disease and virus's be passed by compost?
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| We've become such a 'disease-oriented' society and so fearful of *deadly* pathogens. We'd be better advised to be concerned about the state of our immune systems and quit doing the things that stress that important part of our body that protects us from those harmful pathogens. We can't avoid living with people who have disease and we never know whether someone has sneezed in their hand then touched something in a public place that we may then touch. Much more common way of spreading disease. I agree there should be little concern over that type of pathogen surviving in compost. There is more likelihood of pathogens from bird droppings transmitting disease to garden produce. |
RE: Can Disease and virus's be passed by compost?
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- Posted by jolj 7b/8aS.C.USA. (My Page) on
Fri, Jun 24, 11 at 21:42
Most Virus will die in less then 72 hours.
98% can be killed by bleach &/or isopropyl alcohol. |
RE: Can Disease and virus's be passed by compost?
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Having a good understanding of the subject will help immensly. While bleach, (actually the chlorine in the bleach) is the most effective bacteria stat there is alchohol is not all that effective against disease pathogens. While alchohol may well kill a large number of bacteria they are the beneficial bacteria that you need to live. Anti bacterial soaps are also not any more effective then any other soap.
Many viruses will go dormant, not die, because they cannot live outside the human body, or at least a warm blooded body. |
RE: Can Disease and virus's be passed by compost?
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| I agree 100% with Luckygal. We need to have some exposure to build resistance. I recall growing up with Dad using manure from the barn in the garden. It was nothing to pull a carrot, wipe the dirt off on my jeans and eat it. Never suffered any ill affects. My kids were not kept in a sterile environment and they are doing just fine. Our concern should be aimed more at huge corporations who cut corners with food processing. We can wash and sterilize till we are blue in the face but they care only about profit; not a single one of us. |
RE: Can Disease and virus's be passed by compost?
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| I have heard from many people that maintain they never suffered any ill affect from spreading animal manures on their gardens, but will admit to having the "stomach flu" periodically but that lasted only 24 to 72 hours. That this "stomach flu" was most likely food poisoning from E-Coli, Listeria, Salmonella, or one of the other disease pathogens known to be in that animal manuure is never considered. For many people the signs and symptoms may well be mild enough they barely notice, but diarrhea may well be a sign and symptom of exposure to one of those. |
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