Sources of respiratory insult in the poultry processing industry.

Although the agricultural community has focused a great deal of attention on improving the overall health of poultry for production purposes, the health of poultry workers has, by comparison, received less direct attention. Recent studies suggest that poultry workers who come in direct contact with live birds may be at risk of pulmonary dysfunction, including the development of chronic respiratory diseases. Exposure of poultry workers to live birds results in potential pulmonary insult from a variety of allergenic and immunologic agents, as well as nuisance dust particles. In addition, marked levels of gram-negative bacterial endotoxins and antibiotic-resistant bacteria contaminate the occupational environment. Health care professionals should be aware of the potential sources of respiratory insult to workers in poultry processing and related industries.

[1]  R. Stallones.  Epidemiology and public policy: pro- and anti-biotic. , 1982, American journal of epidemiology.

[2]  H. W. Walker,et al.  Incidence and kinds of microorganisms associated with commercially dressed poultry. , 1956, Applied microbiology.

[3]  R Rylander,et al.  Airborne bacteria, endotoxin and fungi in dust in poultry and swine confinement buildings. , 1983, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[4]  C. F. Petersen,et al.  The airborne microflora of poultry houses. , 1981, Poultry science.

[5]  W. Johnson,et al.  Respiratory disease in a mushroom worker. , 1981, Journal of occupational medicine. : official publication of the Industrial Medical Association.

[6]  D. Emanuel,et al.  FARMER'S LUNG: CLINICAL, PATHOLOGIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC STUDY OF TWENTY-FOUR PATIENTS. , 1964, The American journal of medicine.

[7]  D. Korn,et al.  Recurrent pneumonitis with hypersensitivity to hen litter. , 1968, JAMA.

[8]  K J Donham,et al.  Potential health hazards to agricultural workers in swine confinement buildings. , 1977, Journal of occupational medicine. : official publication of the Industrial Medical Association.

[9]  R. Rylander,et al.  Further studies on inhaled endotoxin-containing bacteria. , 1982, Environmental research.

[10]  T. Demaria,et al.  Effects of inhaled endotoxin-containing bacteria. , 1980, Environmental research.

[11]  F J Wenzel,et al.  The epidemiology of maple bark disease. , 1967, Archives of environmental health.

[12]  S. Olenchock,et al.  A brief report of gram-negative bacterial endotoxin levels in airborne and settled dusts in animal confinement buildings. , 1980, American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

[13]  C. Lahellec,et al.  A study of 5920 strains of psychotrophic bacteria isolated from chickens. , 1975, The Journal of applied bacteriology.

[14]  J. Barboriak,et al.  Reactions of poultry farmers against chicken antigens. , 1968, Archives of environmental health.

[15]  Smith Hw,et al.  Escherichia coli resistant to tetracyclines and to other antibiotics in the faeces of U.K. chickens and pigs in 1980. , 1981 .

[16]  G. Mead.  Microbiology of the Poultry Carcass and Processing Plant , 1976, Royal Society of Health journal.

[17]  Olenchock Sa,et al.  Extracts of airborne grain dusts activate alternative and classical complement pathways. , 1980 .

[18]  R. Rylander,et al.  Airborne endotoxin in industries processing vegetable fibers. , 1982, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[19]  S. Olenchock,et al.  Viable sampling for airborne bacteria in a poultry processing plant. , 1982, Journal of toxicology and environmental health.

[20]  J. Salvaggio,et al.  Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: current concepts of etiology and pathogenesis. , 1976, Annual review of medicine.

[21]  A A ANDERSEN,et al.  NEW SAMPLER FOR THE COLLECTION, SIZING, AND ENUMERATION OF VIABLE AIRBORNE PARTICLES, , 1958, Journal of bacteriology.

[22]  O. Lidwell,et al.  A slit sampler for collecting and counting air-borne bacteria , 1941, Journal of Hygiene.

[23]  R. Rylander,et al.  Humidifier fever and endotoxin exposure , 1978, Clinical allergy.

[24]  R. Rylander,et al.  Pulmonary toxicity of endotoxins: comparison of lipopolysaccharides from various bacterial species , 1982, Infection and immunity.

[25]  R. Avila.  Extrinsic allergic alveolitis in workers exposed to fish meal and poultry , 1971 .

[26]  S W Lenhart,et al.  Occupational exposure to airborne endotoxins during poultry processing. , 1982, Journal of toxicology and environmental health.

[27]  F. Hargreave,et al.  Bird breeder's (fancier's) lung. , 1966, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine.

[28]  R. Rylander,et al.  ENDOTOXIN AND BATH-WATER FEVER , 1980, The Lancet.

[29]  R. Patterson,et al.  Immunopathogenesis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis , 1977 .

[30]  A. Kotula,et al.  AIRBORNE MICROORGANISMS IN BROILER PROCESSING PLANTS. , 1964, Applied microbiology.

[31]  J. Dutkiewicz.  Exposure to dust-borne bacteria in agriculture. I. Environmental studies. , 1978, Archives of environmental health.

[32]  M. Baseler,et al.  Differential toxicity of inhaled gram-negative bacteria , 1983, Infection and immunity.