title: Prospective epidemiologic evaluation of laboratory animal allergy among university employees.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluation of incidence and risk factors for development of laboratory animal allergy (LAA) among new hires previously unexposed to lab animals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline, 6-month and yearly follow-up, questionnaires, pulmonary functions, and methacholine challenges were collected from 98 never-before occupationally exposed and 90 control laboratory researchers. The two groups were followed between 6 and 36 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, there were no differences in atopy, pulmonary functions, or methacholine reactivity between the two groups. The incidence of work-related asthma was comparable in the two groups, approximately 2.5% at 6 months and 4.5% at 24 months. The rate of decline in FEV1 was statistically significantly greater in the animal-exposed than nonanimal-exposed workers, and animal-exposed smokers' FEV1 declined significantly more rapidly than any other groups'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the low incidence of laboratory-animal allergy and work-related asthma in this group, this study corroborates previously described interaction between smoking and animal exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Fuortes
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weih
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pomrehn
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Thorne
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burmeister
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Merchant
mesh_terms: D017750:Animal Technicians; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory / Q000276:immunology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D014495:Universities