TY - JOUR
T1 - Neurologic symptoms associated with raising poultry and swine among participants in the agricultural health study
AU - Davis, Meghan F.
AU - Kamel, Freya
AU - Hoppin, Jane A.
AU - Alavanja, Michael C.R.
AU - Freeman, Laura Beane
AU - Gray, Gregory C.
AU - Nelson, Kenrad
AU - Silbergeld, Ellen
N1 - Funding Information:
The institutional review boards of NIH and its contractors approved the AHS. The Johns Hopkins University institutional review board determined that this secondary data analysis was exempted from further review. This work was supported in part by the intramural research program of the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Z01-ES049030–11), and National Cancer Institute (Z01-CP010119).
Funding Information:
The authors thank Dr Guy McKhann for his invaluable assistance. This work was supported in part by the intramural research program of the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Z01-ES049030–11), and the National Cancer Institute (Z01-CP010119). Meghan Davis is supported by a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Sommer scholarship. Each author declares that he or she has no actual or potential competing financial interest.
PY - 2011/2
Y1 - 2011/2
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is the leading cause of acute peripheral neuropathy worldwide, often associated with recent foodborne infection with Campylobacter jejuni. In this cross-sectional analysis of data from the Agricultural Health Study, we tested whether swine and poultry exposure were associated with increased prevalence of GBS-like neurologic symptoms. METHODS: Using multivariate analysis, we tested the symptoms such as numbness and weakness, relevant to inflammatory peripheral neuropathies, among farmers with self-reported occupational poultry or swine exposure compared with farmers who reported no occupational animal exposure. RESULTS: Among swine farmers/workers, prevalence of weakness and numbness were increased (P < 0.05). Among poultry farmers/workers, prevalence of weakness and numbness were increased, but increased prevalence of weakness was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational contact with live poultry or swine, potentially related to C. jejuni exposure, was associated with increased reporting of GBS-like symptoms.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is the leading cause of acute peripheral neuropathy worldwide, often associated with recent foodborne infection with Campylobacter jejuni. In this cross-sectional analysis of data from the Agricultural Health Study, we tested whether swine and poultry exposure were associated with increased prevalence of GBS-like neurologic symptoms. METHODS: Using multivariate analysis, we tested the symptoms such as numbness and weakness, relevant to inflammatory peripheral neuropathies, among farmers with self-reported occupational poultry or swine exposure compared with farmers who reported no occupational animal exposure. RESULTS: Among swine farmers/workers, prevalence of weakness and numbness were increased (P < 0.05). Among poultry farmers/workers, prevalence of weakness and numbness were increased, but increased prevalence of weakness was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational contact with live poultry or swine, potentially related to C. jejuni exposure, was associated with increased reporting of GBS-like symptoms.
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U2 - 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31820805d5
DO - 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31820805d5
M3 - Article
C2 - 21270654
AN - SCOPUS:79952196231
SN - 1076-2752
VL - 53
SP - 190
EP - 195
JO - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JF - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
IS - 2
ER -