VETERINARY PRACTICE AND OCCUPATIONAL-HEALTH - AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC-STUDY OF SEVERAL PROFESSIONAL GROUPS OF DUTCH VETERINARIANS .1. GENERAL PHYSICAL-EXAMINATION AND PREVALENCE OF ALLERGY, LUNG-FUNCTION DISORDERS, AND BRONCHIAL HYPERREACTIVITY

The prevalence of allergy, lung function disorders, and bronchial hype rreactivity was studied in 102 Dutch veterinarians, subdivided into fi ve professional groups (predominantly working with either swine, cattl e, poultry, companion animals, or as a non-practitioner). The mean age of the participants was 43 years; 6 participants were females, Twenty -two per cent of the participants were overweight, and relatively more non-practitioners than practitioners were overweight, Approximately 2 3% of the vets reported complaints of prolonged fatigue, The data sugg est a relationship between complaints of prolonged fatigue and a more than average number of daily working hours, Only a small proportion of vets were sensitized against several allergens, There were no signifi cant differences in prevalence of distinct lung function disorders or bronchial hyperreactivity between professional groups, It is hypothesi zed that the respiratory complaints (chronic coughing, chronic phlegm production, stuffed nose, sneezing) reported by the vets predominantly working in swine and/or poultry practice could be caused by irritatio n and/or inflammation of the first part of the trachea-bronchial tree that has no measurable and permanent consequences for changes in lung function or increased bronchial hyperreactivity, The results of a skin test against allergens and determination of allergen-specific IgE in blood indicated that the respiratory complaints were probably not rela ted to allergy against the panel of allergens tested.