Asthma, skin symptoms, and allergy in a condom factory

Background: Cases of occupational asthma have been reported in condom facto ries in the UK and France, but there has been no epidemiologic study of gro ups of workers in such factories. This investigation aimed to study the pre valence of symptoms in a Swedish condom factory, to determine groups at spe cial risk, and to suggest preventive measures. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to 35 employees, 29 women and six men w ith mean ages of 37 and 32 years, respectively. All subjects were interview ed by a physician and underwent skin prick test with latex and epicutaneous testing with 39 substances, and blood samples were taken for allergy testi ng. Results: Phadiatop(R) was positive in 23%, RAST against lycopodium in 31%, and RAST against latex in one of these 11. Ten subjects (29%) had work-rela ted nose/eye symptoms; of these, eight had positive RAST to Lycopodium; thr ee also had symptoms of occupational asthma and contact urticaria. Only one had positive RAST to latex. Five of the nine subjects with positive Phadia top also had positive RAST to Lycopodium. All those with RAST positive to L ycopodium had worked in packaging, the area of the factory with the greates t exposure. The results of the patch tests did not correlate with the work- related symptoms. Conclusions: In a Swedish condom factory, there were a high prevalence of r hinoconjunctivitis and a small number of cases of asthma and contact urtica ria caused by allergy to Lycopodium.