[Role of the occupational medicine in the prevention of diseases and accidents].

Occupational medicine is an essential branch of preventive medicine that aims to protect the health of workers in the workplace. Any work situation exposes the worker to occupational hazards. The three levels of prevention applied in occupational medicine make it possible, together, to control risks.

Immunologic response of unvaccinated workers exposed to anthrax, Belgium.

To determine immunologic reactivity to Bacillus anthrax antigens, we conducted serologic testing of workers in a factory that performed scouring of wool and goat hair. Of 66 workers, approximately 10% had circulating antibodies or T lymphocytes that reacted with anthrax protective antigen. Individual immunity varied from undetectable to high.