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Necropsy-based Wild Fish Health Assessment
Published on: September 11, 2018
Seafood workers and respiratory disease: an update
Mohamed F Jeebhay1, André Cartier
1Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health Research, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Mohamed.Jeebhay@uct.ac.za
Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology
|February 25, 2010
Summary
Seafood workers face risks of occupational allergy and respiratory disease from handling seafood. Further research is needed to characterize allergens and investigate non-allergic asthma mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Allergology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Seafood workers are susceptible to occupational allergy and respiratory conditions.
- Previous reviews highlighted these risks a decade ago.
Purpose of the Study:
- To update the understanding of occupational allergy and respiratory disease in seafood workers.
- To review current knowledge on seafood handling and processing risks.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on seafood workers' exposure and health outcomes.
- Analysis of exposure characterization and risk factor data.
Main Results:
- Aerosolization during seafood processing leads to variable airborne particulate and allergen levels.
- Shellfish are more frequently associated with occupational asthma than bony fish.
- Atopy, smoking, and allergen exposure levels are key risk factors for sensitization and asthma.
Conclusions:
- Further allergen characterization is crucial for standardizing exposure assessment and intervention evaluation.
- The role of agents like serine proteases and endotoxins in non-allergic asthma requires more epidemiological study.
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