To quantify the respiratory disease burden among agricultural workers, we examined the 1988-1998 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) "Multiple Cause of Death Data" and the 1988-1994 Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (NHANES III). Proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs) were determined for 11 respiratory conditions among 6 agricultural groups: crop farm workers, ...

organophosphate (ops) compounds are widely used in intensive agriculture to improve production, protect crops and control diseases vectors. the main mechanism of toxicity of ops is the inhibition of the cholinesterase enzymes. in this study the acetylcholinestrase (ache), butyrylcholinesterase (bche) and specific acetylcholinestrase (sache) activities as potential biomarkers of exposure to ops ...

T paper examines the health of farm workers in the United States. Although farm workers constitute a small fraction of the overall U.S. workforce, their health is of special concern because of greater exposure to toxic chemicals, work-related injuries, and other occupational hazards. The U.S. agricultural sector is heavily dependent on hired farm workers who constitute about 30% of the agricult...

AIMS To assess knowledge, attitude, practice, and toxicity symptoms associated with pesticide use and exposure among 189 farm workers in the Gaza Strip. METHODS A cross section of agricultural farm workers in the Gaza Strip were asked to fill in a questionnaire on knowledge, attitudes, practice towards pesticide use, and associated toxicity symptoms. RESULTS Farm workers reported high level...

BACKGROUND Mushroom spores have frequently been associated with respiratory allergy. The aims of this study were to elucidate the incidence and causes of chronic cough in a mushroom farm. METHODS Participants were 69 mushroom workers who produce Hypsizigus marmoreus (Bunashimeji) and 35 control subjects. We excluded six workers because they had had asthma or allergic rhinitis before working. ...

We conducted a cross-sectional study in 2009 to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors for highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) [HPAI H5N1] virus antibodies among poultry workers at farms and live bird markets with confirmed/suspected poultry outbreaks during 2009 in Bangladesh. We tested sera by microneutralization assay using A/Bangladesh/207095/2008 (H5N1; clade 2.2.2) virus wit...

Fieldwork on a commercial farm in southern Zambia, which was aimed at designing an HIV prevention program for farm workers, gradually exposed the nature of sexual liaisons between young girls, coming to work on the farm from the surrounding villages, and older migrant men workers. Before completing fieldwork, the anthropologist voiced her concern about the implications of these liaisons for the...

At an HIV clinic in the Limpopo province of South Africa, chart reviews revealed long delays in addressing abnormal Pap smears, difficulty in referrals, poor quality and lost results, and increasing cases of cervical cancer. To address these barriers, a "see and treat" approach to screening was proposed. The objective was to integrate this method into current HIV care offered by local providers...

This study describes alcohol consumption in five Western Cape Province communities. Cross-sectional data from a community household sample (n = 591) describe the alcohol use patterns of adult males and females, and farm workers vs. others. Data reveal that men were more likely to be current drinkers than women, 75.1% vs. 65.8% (p = 0.033); farm laborers were more likely to be current drinkers t...