Environmental chemical exposures and risk of herpes zoster

This study investigated whether residence in Aberdeen, North Carolina, the location of the Aberdeen pesticides dumps site (a national priority list Su perfund site containing organochlorine pesticides, volatile organic compoun ds, and metals), is associated with immune suppression as indicated by a hi gher incidence of herpes tester and recent occurrences of other common infe ctious diseases. Study participants included 1,642 residents, 18-64 pars of age, who responded to a telephone survey concerning potential occupational and recreational exposures to pesticides and other chemicals, lifetime his tory of herpes tester (shingles), and the recent occurrence of other common infectious diseases. Stratified and logistic regression analyses were used to compare the cumulative incidence of herpes tester among Aberdeen reside nts and residents of nearby communities. There was little evidence of an ov erall increased risk of herpes tester among Aberdeen residents during the p eriod 1951-1994 [relative risk (RR), 1.3; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.8 -2.1]. However, an elevated risk of herpes tester was noted consistently am ong Aberdeen residents of younger ages as compared to residents of the near by communities. The RR was 2.0 (CI, 1.0-4.0) among those 18-40 years of age and was not affected by controlling for potential confounders. The RR of h erpes tester was also consistently elevated in. all age groups for the peri od before 1985. No differences were noted between residents of Aberdeen and those of the nearby communities with respect to the recent occurrence of o ther common infectious diseases. These results support the plausibility of an association between exposure to the Aberdeen pesticides dumps site and i mmune suppression and the potential use of herpes tester as a marker of imm une suppression in studies of environmental chemical exposures.