LUNG (AGRICULTURAL RURAL)

Industrialization of farming, animal raising, and forestry has added c hemical and mechanical hazards that need to be recognized and prevente d. Lung disease among farmworkers can result from a wide variety of ha zardous exposures, which include organic dusts, allergens, chemicals, toxic gases, and infectious agents. In addition to nonspecific symptom s of mucous membrane irritation, farmworkers can experience occupation al asthma or bronchitis, organic dust toxic syndrome, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, silo filler's disease (toxic hemorrhagic pulmonary edema ), and neuromuscular respiratory failure. At risk are farmworkers and those involved in the processing, stocking, transportation, handling, and inspection of unprocessed agricultural, animal, and forestry produ cts; veterinarians; gardeners; game, river, and forest keepers; person s involved in building, supplying, or servicing farm operations; and r esidents of rural communities. Worker education on the risks of enviro nmental exposures, adherence to safety regulations, and increased know ledge of the cause and prevention of environmental diseases will reduc e their prevalence and their adverse human and animal health and socio economic effects.