question: We don’t dare eat dirty food off the ground in fear of getting sick, but how do animals’ stomachs handle food on the ground full of dirt and germs?
comment: Some animals have ridiculous stomach acid. Vultures for example can eat anthrax and not be bothered by it. A good thing when one's diet is animal carcasses. For other animals, some get sick and die. The animals you see in the wild are the ones that survived everything. Humans have taken steps to avoid food related illness, so those that would have been negatively affected are still around.
passages: Section::::Methods of self-medication.:Ingestion.:Mammals.:Geophagy.
  
  Many animals eat soil or clay, a behaviour known as "geophagy". Clay is the primary ingredient of kaolin. It has been proposed that for primates, there are four hypotheses relating to geophagy in alleviating gastrointestinal disorders or upsets:
  
  BULLET::::1. soils adsorb toxins such as phenolics and secondary metabolites
  
  BULLET::::2. soil ingestion has an antacid action and adjusts the gut pH
  
  BULLET::::3. soils act as an antidiarrhoeal agent
  
  BULLET::::4. soils counteract the effects of endoparasites.
  
  Furthermore, two hypotheses pertain to geophagy in supplementing minerals and elements:
   Other studies show that "E. coli" O157:H7, "Campylobacter", "Salmonella", and other dangerous pathogens have been repeatedly isolated from both grass-fed and grain-fed livestock and there are conflicting results regarding whether the levels of pathogens are higher, lower, or the same when animals are fed grass- or grain-based diets.
  
  Examples of raw animal food diets include the Primal Diet and the Raw, Palaeolithic diet and the Tiger Diet.
   Another hypothesis suggested that the soil served as an antacid. However, results of the most recent studies demonstrated that the soil consumed by the monkeys contained a very low pH compared to random soil samples. Therefore, it seems geophagy is not principally used to buffer the stomach pH levels.
   Dedicated defecation sites are thought to be the result of sanitation-driven behavior. For example, spider mite "Stigmaeopsis miscanthi" constructs woven nests, and nest members defecate at only one site inside the nest. Dedicated latrine areas observed by free-roaming horses mean that grazing area is kept parasite-free. Even stabled horses seem to have vestiges of such behavior.
  
  Herbivoral livestock is at risk of parasite/pathogen exposure from feces during grazing, therefore there is an interest in research of livestock behavior in presence of feces both of their own species, and others, including wildlife, including the dependence on defecation patterns.
   The young of elephants, giant pandas, koalas and hippos eat the feces of their mothers or other animals in the herd, in order to obtain the bacteria required to properly digest vegetation found in their ecosystems. When such animals are born, their intestines are sterile and do not contain these bacteria. Without doing this they would be unable to obtain any nutritional value from plants.
   Section::::Transmission/exposure pathways.:Exposure through contaminated soil.
  
  Ingestion of soil by grazing sheep has been measured in two soil types, at two stocking rates, and over two grazing seasons. Animals ingested up to 400 g soil per kg of body weight between May and November. Rainfall and stocking rate emerged as factors influencing ingestion. The effect of soil type and vegetation type was less evident.
   Section::::Animals.:Primates.
  
  There are several hypotheses about the importance of geophagia in bats and primates. Chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, Uganda, have been observed to consume soil rich in kaolinite clay shortly before or after consuming plants including "Trichilia rubescens", which possesses antimalarial properties in the laboratory.
  
  Section::::Animals.:Bats.
   Second, these animals are not tied to eating a specific type of food. For example, lynx do not thrive in human impacted environments because they rely so heavily on snowshoe hares. In contrast, raccoons have been very successful in urban landscapes because they can live in attics, chimneys, and even sewers, and can sustain themselves with food gained from trashcans and discarded litter. 
   Tapirs, forest elephants, colobus monkeys, mountain gorillas and chimpanzees seek out and eat clay, which absorbs intestinal bacteria and their toxins and alleviates stomach upset and diarrhoea. Cattle eat clay-rich termite mound soil, which deactivates ingested pathogens or fruit toxins.
  
  Section::::Methods of self-medication.:Ingestion.:Birds.
   Additionally, toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by "Toxoplasma gondii "is prevalent in organic pastured systems for swine. Although commonly occurring in uncooked meat, toxoplasmosis has been also found in outdoor livestock systems, where controlled, indoor swine environments have been dramatically reduced. A large degree of risk does exist with the potential of Toxoplasma exposure, although many farms currently remain free of this pathogen. Although not as serious as other diseases (Toxoplasma gondii does affect and can kill animals with weak immune systems), uncooked meat from the animals in question can contain the disease. The significance of parasitic infections with respect to health and productivity in pigs under organic outdoor systems remains to be documented. Such diseases do pose risk in pasture systems. Since there are generally fewer population numbers, risk of transmission to other animals is lower, yet exposure to feces and cross-contamination from other animals is a possibility. Providing proper nutrition is necessary to avoid weak immune systems and provide greater resistance of pathogens—utilizing proper forages, grasses, and mineral availability are necessary. For instance, good quality forage can replace up to 50% of grain and supplement needs for many sows in pastures. Organic producers should maintain buffers and adequate housing to maintain proper swine health. The issue of cannibalism, by sows eating piglets, or pigs eating a diseased pig of the same size can be a concern. There is evidence that suggests this is a growing concern in outdoor and pasture systems.
   A possible risk of raw feeding is that of human infection caused by direct or indirect exposure to bacterial pathogens in raw meat and animal stools. A small study investigated the levels of salmonella in the stool of 10 dogs that ate a raw diet. It was found that 80% of the raw diets tested positive for "Salmonella" and 30% of the stool samples from dogs fed raw food contained salmonella. None of the control dogs fed a commercial feed contained "Salmonella". The authors of the study concluded that dogs on a raw food diet may be a source of environmental contamination, although they caution about the generalizability of their results due to the small number of dogs studied.
   Any top-down effects that do occur will be limited in strength because soil food webs are donor controlled. Donor control means that consumers have little or no effect on the renewal or input of their resources. For example, aboveground herbivores can overgraze an area and decrease the grass population, but decomposers cannot directly influence the rate of falling plant litter. They can only indirectly influence the rate of input into their system through nutrient recycling which, by helping plants to grow, eventually creates more litter and detritus to fall. If the entire soil food web were completely donor controlled, however, bacterivores and fungivores would never greatly affect the bacteria and fungi they consume.
   It is important to note that weather, frequent bedding maintenance, barn design, ventilation, and stall management influence bacteria levels. When one or several of these things change or are not met the susceptibility of illness significantly increases. These illnesses are potentially deadly to these animals and that is why the maintenance of bedding is so important.
   Many studies have demonstrated that the bacteria and viruses in the human gut (the gut microbiome) can be altered by changes in diet. One study that focused on bacterial viruses, called bacteriophages, in the gut found a significant relationship between diet and the type of bacteriophages present. This was done by comparing the distance between bacteriophage gut communities in individuals both before and after they started a controlled diet. The results were that the distance between the bacteriophage gut communities of individuals on the same diet was significantly smaller at the end of their dietary treatment than it was at the start, while there was no increase in community similarity for individuals on different diets over time.
   Cattle avoid grazing areas contaminated by the faeces of other cattle more strongly than they avoid areas contaminated by sheep, but they do not avoid pasture contaminated by rabbit faeces.
  
  Section::::Genetics.
   Geophagy is the practice of eating soil-like substances. Both animals and human cultures occasionally consume soil for medicinal, recreational, or religious purposes. It has been shown that some monkeys consume soil, together with their preferred food (tree foliage and fruits), in order to alleviate tannin toxicity.
   The reticulorumen has an optimum pH of 6.5 for the microbe population to live and function. Consumption by ruminants of an insufficiently fibrous diet leads to little cud formation and therefore lowered amounts of saliva production. This in turn is associated with rumen acidosis, where the rumen pH can fall to 5 or lower. Rumen acidosis is associated with a lowered appetite which leads to still lower rates of saliva secretion. Eventually, a collapse of the microbial ecosystem in the rumen will occur because of the low pH. Acute rumen acidosis can lead to death of the animal, and will occur if the animal is allowed to eat a diet with no roughage but high levels of highly digestible starchy concentrate. Some dairy cows in intensive systems of milk production may have sub-acute acidosis because of the high rates of cereals in their diets relative to an insufficient amount of forage. However most producers provide adequate fodder in the form of hay to prevent this.
   The distribution of coprophilous fungi is closely linked to the distribution of the herbivores on which they rely, such as rabbits, deer, cattle, horses and sheep. Some species rely on a specific species for dung; for instance, "Coprinus radiatus" and "Panaeolus campanulatus" grow almost exclusively on horse feces, while others, such as "Panaeolus sphinctrinus", can grow on any feces or even just particularly fertile soil. Further, some species (such as "Conocybe rickenii") can be found in large numbers in areas where manure has been used as a soil fertilizer, such as in gardens. Some coprophilous fungi are also known to grow from the dung of omnivores (such as "Chaetomium globisporum" from rat droppings) or even carnivores (such as "Chaetomium rajasthanense", from tiger feces).
   Supporters of raw feeding, such as Dr. Richard S Patton, reported that the stomach enzymes and short intestinal tracts of dogs and cats allow them to handle harmful bacteria. There has been a reported case where two cats fed a raw diet developed salmonellosis and died as a result.  Most dogs that carry salmonella are asymptomatic. A veterinarian from the National Animal Poison Control Center suggests that the diarrhea in animals that raw feeders attribute to detoxing could be caused by pathogens such as "Salmonella", "E. coli", "Clostridium" and "Campylobacter".  Bacteria proliferation in any meat can be reduced by following proper food safety practices such as defrosting meat in the refrigerator or by cooking raw meat, both of which reduce the risk of pathogens.
   BULLET::::- In mammals, herbivores such as cattle depend on their rumen microbiome to convert cellulose into proteins, short chain fatty acids, and gases. Culture methods cannot provide information on all microorganisms present. Comparative metagenomic studies yielded the surprising result that individual cattle possess markedly different community structures, predicted phenotype, and metabolic potentials, even though they were fed identical diets, were housed together, and were apparently functionally identical in their utilization of plant cell wall resources.
   The dog's simple gastrointestinal tract contains a vast array of microbial populations; some members of this very diversified community include fusobacteria, proteobacteria, and actinobacteria. The gut microbiota of the dog will be comparable to that of the owners due to similar environmental impacts. Not only are the microbes influenced by the dog's environment, but they are also impacted by the macronutrient content of the dog's diet. The populations present and health status of the microbiota found within the gut can alter the physiological and metabolic functions of the dog, which then subsequently affects susceptibility to disease development.
   A degree of risk to exposure to swine diseases is observed in pasture swine systems. Especially in Europe, but not limited to the region, pasture or soil related parasites are important to consider, as several studies in northern temperate climate have indicated that outdoor production have resulted in heavier and more prevalent helminth (parasitic worms) infections as compared to conventional intensive production under indoor conditions. Because pigs are rooting animals and will dig up and consume soil at varying amounts, the exposure route makes control a difficult management option for organic producers. Additionally, parasitism risk can be greater in regions where worm eggs remain viable in the soil for extended periods and can reinfect populations. The potential risk of introduction of parasitic worms will depend on the prevalence of the infection in the environment, neighboring farm prevalence, pasture management and other preventive measures including waste and dead animal disposal.
   BULLET::::- We are all connected between the communities of living things. Plants can absorb toxins through their roots and leaves. Animals and humans are always exposed to chemicals by the air we breathe, things we touch, and what we put in our mouth.
  
  BULLET::::- Animals and humans can also eat other animals or plants that are already poisoned, which will continue the spread of chemicals, which is referred to as secondary poisoning
  
  Section::::Effects on individuals and entire population.
   Paleofeces, also known as coprolites, are ancient human feces, often found as part of archaeological excavations or surveys. Intact feces of ancient people may be found in caves in arid climates and in other locations with suitable preservation conditions. These are studied to determine the diet and health of the people who produced them through the analysis of seeds, small bones, and parasite eggs found inside. They also may be analyzed chemically for more in-depth information on the individual who excreted them, using lipid analysis and DNA analysis. The success rate of usable DNA extraction is relatively high in paleofeces, making it more reliable than skeletal DNA retrieval.
   Poor sanitation practices, a general characteristic of hoarding households, pose health risks to both animals and humans. In typical hoarding residences, animal waste is found coating interior surfaces, including beds, countertops, and cupboards. In one case, floors and other surfaces were found to be covered in a six-inch layer of feces and garbage.
  
presuppositions: Animals don't get sick from eating food on the ground.
corrections: Some animals that eat from the ground do get sick and die, but only the animals that survived what was eaten are being seen.
raw_presuppositions: Animals don't get sick from eating food on the ground. Animals don't get sick from eating food on the ground.
raw_corrections: Some animals that eat from the ground do get sick and die, but only the animals that survived what was eaten are being seen. Some animals that eat from the ground get sick and die, but you only see the ones that survived.