Respiratory disease in animal house workers

A cross-sectional survey was made to determine the prevalence of respiratory disorders, and the association between symptoms and workplace exposure, in 90 animal-house workers (AHW) and 100 controls (C) without occupational exposure to laboratory animals. Each subject provided a detailed history and serum for radioimmunoassays, and underwent: physical examination, skin testing with common inhalant and animal-derived antigens, and pulmonary function studies. Both groups were comparable with respect to age, sex, smoking habits, and atopy. Rhinitis occurred with similar frequency in each group. However, a more frequent occurrence of asthma (p less than 0.05, non-specific infectious respiratory disease (p less than 0.005), and impaired pulmonary functions (p less than 0.001) was found among AHW. An atopic background was a predisposing factor for the development of laboratory-animal-related respiratory symptoms. These findings imply an increased vulnerability to respiratory disease related to workplace exposure to laboratory animals in atopic individuals.