Moulds and agricultural and food-processing occupational allergies.

To improve our knowledge of allergic risks linked to fungal spore inhalatio n, a preliminary survey has been undertaken in four types of occupational w orkshops: sawmills, wine cellars, cheese dairies, and bakeries. Many spores have been listed with wide qualitative and quantitative variations. Someti mes, high concentrations of spores have been detected. Any workshop shelter s a specific mycoflora. Many species known to be allergenic have been ident ified, sometimes at high levels. One may admit that in some workshops visit ed, workers are exposed to allergic risks. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.