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Farmer's lung is now in decline.
A Arya1, K Roychoudhury, C P Bredin
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork.
Irish Medical Journal
|September 22, 2006
Summary
Farmer's lung incidence in Ireland remained stable until 1996. A significant decline was observed from 1997-2002, linked to increased silage production and decreased hay production.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Medicine
- Occupational Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Farmer's lung incidence in Ireland showed a stable trend until 1996, despite advancements in hay-making technologies.
- This stability contrasted with the expected impact of agricultural practice changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence of farmer's lung in Ireland between 1982 and 2002.
- To analyze the correlation between farmer's lung incidence, rainfall patterns, and evolving farm practices.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Hospital In-Patients Enquiry (HIPE) data for primary case identification.
- Correlated incidence rates with rainfall data (Met Eireann) and agricultural data (Central Statistics Office), focusing on Annual Working Units (AWU) to represent the at-risk population.
Main Results:
- Farmer's lung incidence remained constant from 1982 to 1996.
- A notable decrease in incidence occurred from 1997 to 2002.
- Strong positive correlation with hay production (r=0.81) and strong negative correlation with silage production (r=-0.82) were identified.
Conclusions:
- The study indicates a declining trend in farmer's lung incidence in Ireland.
- Shifts in farming practices, particularly towards silage production, appear to be a significant factor in this decline.
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