title: Occupational reactions to foods.
abstract: The spectrum of occupational diseases most commonly seen in the food industry includes occupational asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Occupational asthma represents between 3% and 20% of all asthma cases and is the most common form of occupational lung disease. Occupational skin diseases may represent between 10% and 15% of all occupational diseases, and they have significant economic impact. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis affects the food industry, with farmer's lung representing a common form of the disease. Each of these diseases may have serious and potentially irreversible effects on the health of a farmer, food processor, or food preparer, even after removal of the offending exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Clinical Immunology, Allergy & Rheumatology, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, 1700 Perdido Street (SL-57), New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. sblehrer@tulane.edu
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aresery
authors.forename: Samuel B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lehrer
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000542:Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005502:Food / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D019649:Food Industry; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens