High exposure to endotoxin in farming is associated with less new-onset pollen sensitisation.

Objectives: Little is known about risk factors for new onset and loss of atopic sensitisation in adulthood. The aim is to examine the longitudinal effect of quantitatively assessed endotoxin exposures on changes in specific allergen sensitisation in young adults.

Methods: The cohort consisted of 1113 young Danish farmers and rural controls, with a mean age of 19 years at baseline.

Sensitisation to common allergens and respiratory symptoms in endotoxin exposed workers: a pooled analysis.

Objective: To test the hypotheses that current endotoxin exposure is inversely associated with allergic sensitisation and positively associated with non-allergic respiratory diseases in four occupationally exposed populations using a standardised analytical approach.

Methods: Data were pooled from four epidemiological studies including 3883 Dutch and Danish employees in veterinary medicine, agriculture and power plants using biofuel. Endotoxin exposure was estimated by quantitative job-exposure matrices specific for the study populations.

New-onset asthma and the effect of environment and occupation among farming and nonfarming rural subjects.

Background: Many factors, including environmental exposures, have been related to the increase in the prevalence of asthma, but only few have been tested for in longitudinal studies.

Objective: We studied farming students to determine whether their environment during childhood and as adults was a factor determining subsequent onset of asthma.

Methods: From 1994 to 1998, new cases of asthma were identified by means of an annual posted questionnaire followed by a telephone interview in a prospective cohort consisting of 1964 farming-school students and 407 nonfarming subjects aged 16 to 26 years.

The cohort of young Danish farmers - A longitudinal study of the health effects of farming exposure.

Working in agriculture poses a serious risk for development of respiratory diseases, especially when working in animal housing. Animal workers are exposed to a mixture of organic and inorganic dust together with fumes and gases, including allergens and microbial-associated molecular patterns with a potentially major impact on respiratory health and the immune system. Exposure to microbial agents in animal housing is associated with an increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms, including bronchial hyperresponsiveness, accelerated lung function decline, and neutrophil-mediated inflammation.

Time trend of the prevalence of hepatitis E antibodies among farmers and blood donors: a potential zoonosis in Denmark.

Background: Antibody to hepatitis E virus (anti-HEV) is prevalent in Western countries, where clinical hepatitis E is rarely reported. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-HEV among Danish blood donors and Danish farmers. In addition, we compared the prevalence among 2 sets of serum samples obtained from blood donors 20 years apart.

Respiratory health and allergy among young farmers and non-farming rural males in Denmark: the SUS study.

The respiratory health of 230 female and 1,734 male farming students (FS) and 407 male rural controls was analyzed. A significantly increased prevalence of cough (6.9%) was reported among the male FS compared to the controls (2.

A model for safety and health promotion among Danish farmers.

In 1999, a project concerning the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases was started in Vejle County, Denmark. The aim of the project was to increase the safety and health in farming. The project was based on a participatory strategy.