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1 Institute of Agricultural Rural and Environmental Health (IAREH), and 2 Dept of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, and 3 Hôpital and Université Laval, St. Foy, Quebec, Canada.
CORRESPONDENCE: J.A. Dosman, Institute of Agricultural Rural and Environmental Health (IAREH), 103 Hospital Drive, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7NOW8. Fax: 1 3069668799. E-mail: dosman@sask.usask.ca
Keywords: Asthma, endotoxin, environmental exposure, occupational, swine
Received: December 3, 2002
Accepted March 9, 2004
Abstract
Respiratory symptoms, reductions in pulmonary function and increased bronchial responsiveness have been described in exposed workers and in naïve volunteers exposed to intensive swine production facilities. Typically, this occurs in persons who have been employed for a long duration or in previously unexposed, naïve volunteers.
The current authors describe four cases, all female, who developed acute onset of wheezing and cough suggestive of asthma within weeks of commencing full-time employment in intensive swine production facilities.
None of the workers were aware of any previous asthma, allergies or hay fever. All four employees reported improvement of symptoms on cessation of work in the facilities and consequent withdrawal from exposure. However, when seen at the respiratory clinic, cases 1 and 3 continued to be either mildly symptomatic or were taking medications with continued borderline airways responsiveness, as measured by methacholine challenge test up to 4 and 5 months, respectively, following work cessation. Case 2 continued to have symptoms for
To the current authors' knowledge, this is the first report of occupational asthma occurring in newly employed full-time intensive swine production workers after a short-term exposure and should raise awareness that previously unexposed workers may be at risk of developing what would appear to be long-term asthma after relatively short-term exposure.
3 months after work cessation. Only case 1, however, was seen at repeated visits in the respiratory clinic. One worker participated in a work re-entry trial and experienced profound coughing and chest tightness within an hour of entry, after which, the trial had to be terminated. Provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (PC20) measured 5 h later was lower than pre-trial PC20. No acute exposure event was recorded in the workers prior to the onset of symptoms.
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  A. Senthilselvan, L. Chenard, K. Ulmer, N. Gibson-Burlinguette, C. Leuschen, and J. A. Dosman Excess Respiratory Symptoms in Full-time Male and Female Workers in Large-Scale Swine Operations Chest, April 1, 2007; 131(4): 1197 - 1204. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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L. Chenard, A. Senthilselvan, V. K. Grover, S. P. Kirychuk, J. A. Lawson, T. S. Hurst, and J. A. Dosman Lung Function and Farm Size Predict Healthy Worker Effect in Swine Farmers Chest, January 1, 2007; 131(1): 245 - 254. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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 J. A. Dosman, J. A. Lawson, S. P. Kirychuk, Y. Cormier, J. Biem, and N. Koehncke Three new cases of apparent occupational asthma in swine confinement facility employees Eur. Respir. J., December 1, 2006; 28(6): 1281 - 1282. [Full Text] [PDF]
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