Biological agents as occupational hazards - selected issues

• Published in: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine 2011, Vol.18 (2), p.286-293
• Main Authors: Dutkiewicz, Jacek, Cisak, Ewa, Sroka, Jacek, Wójcik-Fatla, Angelina, Zając, Violetta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerosols - toxicity; Agriculture; Airborne microorganisms; Allergens - immunology; Alveolitis; Anaplasmosis; Animals; Aquatic insects; Asthma; Babesiosis; Bacteria; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacterial Infections - classification; Bacterial Infections - epidemiology; Bacterial Infections - etiology; Bacterial Infections - veterinary; Bartonellosis; Borrelia; Borrelia burgdorferi; Borreliosis; Communicable Diseases, Emerging - classification; Communicable Diseases, Emerging - epidemiology; Communicable Diseases, Emerging - etiology; Communicable Diseases, Emerging - veterinary; Conjunctivitis; Dermatitis; Drug resistance; Endotoxins; Farmworkers; Fungi; Fungi - isolation & purification; Health care; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis C virus; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Hypersensitivity; Infections; Infectious diseases; Influenza; Insect bites; Malaria; Metabolites; Mycoses - classification; Mycoses - epidemiology; Mycoses - etiology; Mycoses - veterinary; Mycotoxins; Occupational diseases; Occupational Diseases - classification; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; Occupational Diseases - etiology; Occupational Diseases - veterinary; Occupational Exposure; Occupational hazards; Occupational Health; Organic compounds; Polymers; Protozoa; Protozoan Infections - classification; Protozoan Infections - epidemiology; Protozoan Infections - etiology; Q fever; Respiratory organs; Rhinitis; Risk Factors; Secondary metabolites; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus infections; Vector-borne diseases; Vectors (Biology); Virus Diseases - classification; Virus Diseases - epidemiology; Virus Diseases - etiology; Virus Diseases - veterinary; Viruses - isolation & purification; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; Zoonoses; Zoonoses - classification; Zoonoses - epidemiology; Zoonoses - etiology; β-Glucan
• ISSN: 1232-1966; 1898-2263

There are two main groups of biological agents regarded as occupational hazards: allergenic and/or toxic agents forming bioaerosols, and agents causing zoonoses and other infectious diseases. Bioaerosols occurring in the agricultural work environments comprise: bacteria, fungi, high molecular polymers produced by bacteria (endotoxin) or by fungi (β-glucans), low molecular secondary metabolites of fungi (mycotoxins, volatile organic compounds) and various particles of plant and animal origin. All these agents could be a cause of allergic and/or immunotoxic occupational diseases of respiratory organ (airways inflammation, rhinitis, toxic pneumonitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and asthma), conjunctivitis and dermatitis in exposed workers. Very important among zoonotic agents causing occupational diseases are those causing tick-borne diseases: Lyme borreliosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, bartonellosis. Agricultural workers in tropical zones are exposed to mosquito bites causing malaria, the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the world. The group of agents causing other, basically not vector-borne zoonoses, comprises those evoking emerging or re-emerging diseases of global concern, such as: hantaviral diseases, avian and swine influenza, Q fever, leptospiroses, staphylococcal diseases caused by the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, and diseases caused by parasitic protozoa. Among other infectious, non-zoonotic agents, the greatest hazard for health care workers pose the blood-borne human hepatitis and immunodeficiency viruses (HBV, HCV, HIV). Of interest are also bacteria causing legionellosis in people occupationally exposed to droplet aerosols, mainly from warm water.