Final answer:
Inhalable biological agents that can cause occupational diseases in farmworkers include bacteria, viruses, chlamydiae, and fungi, with diseases such as Q fever and Valley fever being examples. Biosafety levels are assigned based on risk to health and the environment. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is one such occupational disease due to immune response from allergen exposure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Biological agents that, if inhaled, can cause occupational diseases in farmworkers include bacterial, viruses, chlamydiae, and fungal agents. Examples of diseases caused by these agents are Q fever, caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, and Valley fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis, caused by a fungal pathogen. Furthermore, infectious prions can cause disease through misfolded proteins and viroids can impact the avocado industry severely. It is important to adhere to Microbiology Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines to manage the risk posed by different biological agents, which are assigned to Biosafety Levels (BSLs) based on the risk they pose to human health and the environment.
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is considered an occupational disease as it is a result of repeated exposure to biological agents prevalent in certain work environments, such as dust, mold, or other allergens, which can lead to a heightened immune response in affected workers.