Work related symptoms, sensitisation, and estimated exposure in workers not previously exposed to laboratory rats

Findings are presented from the initial cross sectional phase of a cohort study of employees exposed to laboratory rats. Of 366 eligible workers at four sites 323 (88%) were surveyed; symptoms assessed by self completed questionnaire and sensitisation measured by the response to skin prick tests wer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Occupational and environmental medicine (London, England) England), 1994-09, Vol.51 (9), p.589-592
Main Authors: Cullinan, P, Lowson, D, Nieuwenhuijsen, M J, Gordon, S, Tee, R D, Venables, K M, McDonald, J C, Newman Taylor, A J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Allergens
Allergens - administration & dosage
Allergies
Animals
Asthma
Biological and medical sciences
Cigarette smoking
Cohort Studies
Cross-Sectional Studies
Dermatitis, Allergic Contact - etiology
Dust
Employment
Eye Diseases - etiology
Female
General aspects
Humans
Hypersensitivity - etiology
Hypersensitivity, Immediate - complications
Immunopathology
Intradermal Tests
Laboratory animals
Length of employment
Male
Medical Laboratory Personnel
Medical sciences
Occupational Diseases - etiology
Occupational exposure
Rats
Regression Analysis
Respiratory Hypersensitivity - etiology
Skin tests
Smoking - adverse effects
Symptoms
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Summary:Findings are presented from the initial cross sectional phase of a cohort study of employees exposed to laboratory rats. Of 366 eligible workers at four sites 323 (88%) were surveyed; symptoms assessed by self completed questionnaire and sensitisation measured by the response to skin prick tests were related to intensity of exposure both to total dust and to rat urinary aeroallergen. Among 238 workers, without previous occupational exposure to rats, work related symptoms, which started after first employment at the site were related to exposure intensity (expressed either in terms of dust or of aeroallergen) at the time of onset of symptoms. These relations were stronger in atopic subjects but were unrelated to smoking. Positive skin tests to rat urinary extract were also more frequent with increased exposure, a relation found in both atopic subjects and in smokers. There was a strong association between work related symptoms and specific sensitisation.
ISSN:1351-0711
1470-7926
DOI:10.1136/oem.51.9.589