Occupational asthma in newly employed workers in intensive swine confinement facilities

Abstract

Respiratory symptoms, reductions in pulmonary function and increased bronchial responsiveness have been described in exposed workers and in naïve volunteers exposed to intensive swine production facilities. Typically, this occurs in persons who have been employed for a long duration or in previously unexposed, naïve volunteers.The current authors describe four cases, all female, who developed acute onset of wheezing and cough suggestive of asthma within weeks of commencing full-time employment in intensive swine production facilities.None of the workers were aware of any previous asthma, allergies or hay fever. All four employees reported improvement of symptoms on cessation of work in the facilities and consequent withdrawal from exposure. However, when seen at the respiratory clinic, cases 1 and 3 continued to be either mildly symptomatic or were taking medications with continued borderline airways responsiveness, as measured by methacholine challenge test up to 4 and 5 months, respectively, following work cessation. Case 2 continued to have symptoms for o3 months after work cessation. Only case 1, however, was seen at repeated visits in the respiratory clinic. One worker participated in a work re-entry trial and experienced profound coughing and chest tightness within an hour of entry, after which, the trial had to be terminated. Provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (PC20) measured 5 h later was lower than pre-trial PC20. No acute exposure event was recorded in the workers prior to the onset of symptoms.To the current authors9 knowledge, this is the first report of occupational asthma occurring in newly employed full-time intensive swine production workers after a shortterm exposure and should raise awareness that previously unexposed workers may be at risk of developing what would appear to be long-term asthma after relatively short-term exposure.

The Relationship Between Workers and Animals in the Pork Industry: A Shared Suffering

“…Respiratory pathologies that affect animals also affect workers (farmers and their workers, as well as vets). This includes asthma and chronic bronchitis, especially in pork and poultry farming systems (Donham 2000;Borghetti et al 2002;Dosman et al 2004;McDonnell et al 2008). While there are more studies on this topic than there are on suffering in the workplace (these are virtually inexistent), this body of research remains quite small (about a hundred) compared to that on ''animal welfare.…”

Effect of Toll-like receptor 4 gene polymorphisms on work-related respiratory symptoms and sensitization to wheat flour in bakery workers

“…Endotoxin exposure is associated with respiratory symptoms and diseases in many workplace settings, especially where workers are exposed to considerable amounts of endotoxins, such as poultry or pig farms. 22,23 The concentrations of IL-8 and neutrophil number reportedly increased in bronchoalveolar and nasal lavage fluids of healthy subjects after exposure to endotoxin-contaminated swine dust. 24 In recent years, the suggestion was made that the genetic effects of TLR4 polymorphisms on the biological responses to endotoxin exposure should be considered as controlling factors for work-related respiratory diseases under the concept of a gene-environment interaction.…”

Reduced Risk of Atopic Sensitization among Farmers: The Humboldt Study

“…However, farming was found to be associated with an increased risk of asthma in New York [32]. Occupational asthma may occur in intensive swine production workers after a short-term exposure [33]. Grape farming was associated with increased allergic sensitization to specific pollens and increased bronchial hyperresponsiveness among the farming population in Crete, Greece [34].…”