Is there a strong link between poultry handling and occupational asthma?

I am doing an assessment in a research poultry handling unit. There is exposure to dust during handling and cage cleaning. Evidence is quite strong for rats, mice, rabbits, horses, dogs - but I haven't found much for poultry (although I have found a reference for pnuemonitis)

Occupational Asthma, Specialist, 8/15/2007, 8/15/2007,

Here are a few references. Simpson JC, Niven RM, Pickering CA, Fletcher AM, Oldham LA, Francis HM, Prevalence and predictors of work related respiratory symptoms in workers exposed to organic dusts, Occup Environ Med, 1998;55:668-672, Chacin B, Corzo G, Montiel M, Lung function in workers in a chicken slaughterhouse in the city of Maracaibo, Venezuela [Spanish], Invest Clin, 1997;38:171-190, Sanderson WT, Weber A, Echt A, Case reports: epidemic eye and upper respiratory irritation in poultry processing plants, Appl Occup Environ Hyg, 1995;10:43-49, Zuskin E, Mustajbegovic J, Kern J, SitarSrebocan V, Respiratory function in poultry workers [SerboCroatian (Roman)], Lijec Vjesn, 1995;117:121-125, Zuskin E, Mustajbegovic J, Schachter EN, Kern J, Rienzi N, Goswami S, Marom Z, Maayani S, Respiratory function in poultry workers and pharmacologic characterization of poultry dust extract, Environ Res, 1995;70:11-19, Varslot M, Hilt B, Qvenild T, Respiratory tract symptoms among farmers keeping animals in Midt-Norge [Norwegian], Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen, 1995;115:2524-2528, Zuskin E, Mustajbegovic J, Kanceljak B, Stilinovic L, Immunologic reactions in poultry-processing workers [SerboCroatian (Roman)], Arh Hig Rada Toksikol, 1994;45:31-38, Reheda MS, The mechanisms of allergic damage to the bronchoalveolar apparatus in poultry plant workers, Fiziologicheskii Zhurnal, 1994;40:76-81, Zuskin E, Kanceljak B, Schachter EN, Witek TJ, Maayani S, Goswami S, Marom Z, Rienzi N, Immunological and respiratory changes in animal food processing workers, Am J Industr Med, 1992;21:177-191, Wuthe H, Bergman KC, Gehlmann B, Pippig I, Heintze R, Luther P, Vogel J, Frequency of lung function disturbances of industrial poultry farmers, -, 1991;:-, Morris PD, Lenhart SW, Service WS, Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function in chicken catchers in poultry confinement units, Am J Industr Med, 1991;19:195-204, Hagmar L, Schutz A, Hallberg T, Sjoholm A, Health effects of exposure to endotoxins and organic dust in poultry slaughter-house workers, Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 1990;62:159-164, Lutsky I, Teichtahl H, BarSela S, Occupational asthma due to poultry mites, J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1984;73:56-60, BarSela S, Teichtahl H, Lutsky I, Occupational asthma in poultry workers, J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1984;73:271-275, Lutsky I, BarSela S, Northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) in occupational asthma in poultry workers, Lancet, 1982;ii:874-875,

8/15/2007

Thanks for the reply - I couldn't see the references!

8/15/2007

OK - when I closed the reply window I found them - thanks!

8/15/2007

Here are a few more obscure ones. It takes me a few minutes to put them on after the message is posted so give me a minute! Khomenko AG, Ozerova LV, Occupation exogenous allergic alveolitis [Russian], Probl Tuberk, 1996;:72-75, Zuskin E, Kanceljak B, Mustajbegovic J, Schachter EN, Stilinovic L, Respiratory symptoms and immunological status in poultry food processing workers, Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 1994;66:339-342, Reynolds SJ, Parker D, Vesley D, Smith D, Woellner R, Cross-sectional epidemiological study of respiratory disease in turkey farmers, Am J Industr Med, 1993;24:713-722, Bernstein JA, Kraut A, Bernstein DI, Warrington R, Bolin T, Warren CP, Bernstein IL, Occupational asthma induced by inhaled egg lysozyme, Chest, 1993;103:532-535, Brown AM, The respiratory health of Victorian broiler growers, Med J Aust, 1990;152:521-524, Schroeckenstein DC, MeierDavis S, Graziano FM, Falomo A, Bush RK, Occupational sensitivity to Aliphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (lesser mealworm), J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1988;82:1081-1088, Edwards J, McConnochie K, Davies BH, Skin-test reactivity to egg protein-exposure by inhalation compared with ingestion, Clin Allergy, 1985;15:147-150, Anderson P, Schonheyder H, Antibodies to hen and duck antigens in poultry workers, Clin Allergy, 1984;14:421-428, Thelin A, Tegler O, Rylander R, Lung reactions during poultry handling related to dust and bacterial endotoxin levels, Eur J Respir Dis, 1984;65:266-271, Edwards JH, McConnochie K, Trotman DM, Collins G, Saunders MJ, Latham SM, Allergy to inhaled egg material, Clin Allergy, 1983;13:427-432, So SY, Lam WK, YU D, Colophony-induced asthma in a poultry vender, Clin Allergy, 1981;11:395-399, StahuljakBeritic D, Dimov D, Buthovic L, Lung function and immunological changes in poultry breeders, Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 1977;40:131-139, Greene SA, Freedman S, Asthma due to inhaled chemical agents: amprolium hydrochloride, Clin Allergy, 1976;6:105-108, Warren CPW, Tse KS, Extrinsic allergic alveolitis owing to hypersensitivity to chickens- significance of sputum precipitins, Am Rev Respir Dis, 1974;109:672-677, Mansmann RA, Osburn BI, Hypersensitivity pneumonitis to chickens in horses, J Allergy, 1973;51:103-10*,

8/15/2007

Thanks for all that. I see there was also another reply regarding poultry dust and asthma on the site forum - which was also interesting. The BarSela S etal ref (Occupational asthma in poultry workers, J Allergy Clin Immunol) is intriguing - I found a reference to that study elsewhere - unfortunately I can find an abstract anywhere. It seems that the overall link is weak but there is exposure to endotoxins implicated with other disease - again I have found an intriguing reference that implies that there may be some protective effective from exposure to endotoxins ie - the risk of an allergic response is lowered as a result of endotoxin exposure - are you aware of such an effect?

8/15/2007

I am not an expert in this field. However there is intriguing evidence that children born on farms with animals have less asthma than children not born on farms or farms without animals. The farms with animals have high levels of endotoxin.

8/15/2007

Hi. Have added the abstract and full text of the BarSela paper. Click on it to have a look.

8/15/2007

Many thanks!

8/15/2007