Asthma and allergy to animals
Book Chapter ResearchOnline@JCUAbstract
[Extract] Human society has benefited from the use of other species from the animal kingdom for as long as we have records, dating from before the drawings of hunted beasts in the caves of Lascaux. We use animals as food for ourselves and for other animals, for products such as wool, leather, enzymes, hormones, and fertilizers, and, over the past 60 years, as surrogates for humans in laboratory studies of disease mechanisms associated with exposures. Interestingly, such close contact with these biological materials has triggered allergic disease and asthma in exposed workers; laboratory and farm animals, insects, and seafood species are important etiologic agents. This chapter covers the occupations, allergens, and co-exposures encountered in each of these three categories, and defines the typical clinical presentation, along with the best methods of diagnosis and management. Taking a step back from the clinical vantage point, we will consider the epidemiology of these allergic occupational diseases, including incidence, prevalence, risk factors, and modifiers. We will review existing surveillance programs that include medical monitoring, exposure measurements, and industry or nation-wide data collection. Steps aimed at prevention include understanding the intensity and patterns of exposure that lead to disease, such that exposure can be intelligently managed to reduce rates of allergy and asthma. Study of these exposures and allergic diseases provides important insights into the onset and natural progression of allergic disease, as well as a view into the elusive process of tolerance.
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Asthma in the Workplace
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978-1-84214-591-3
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24
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CRC Press
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Publisher Location
Boca Raton, FL, USA
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