Update of cancer and non-cancer mortality in the Missouri poultry cohort.
BACKGROUND
workers in poultry slaughtering and processing plants have one of the highest human exposures to transmissible agents that cause cancer and other diseases in chickens and turkeys, and also have other occupational carcinogenic exposures. The general population is also exposed to these transmissible agents.


METHODS
we investigated mortality in workers who belong to a poultry union in Missouri, and estimated standardized mortality ratios.


RESULTS
significantly increased mortality was observed for some leukemias, benign neoplasms, thyroid diseases, bacterial infections, and schizophrenic disorders. The risk of breast cancer and several non-cancer conditions was significantly depressed.


CONCLUSIONS
the findings add to the growing evidence suggesting that workers occupationally exposed to transmissible agents and carcinogens in the poultry industry, are at increased risk of dying from certain chronic diseases, including cancer.
Department of Epidemiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas 76107, USA. ejohnson@hsc.unt.edu
Eric S
ES
Johnson
Yi
Y
Zhou
C Lillian
CL
Yau
Vishnu
V
Sarda
Nykiconia
N
Preacely
Satish
S
Bankuru
Saritha
S
Bangara
Martha
M
Felini
Harrison
H
Ndetan
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D009314:National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S.; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016272:Occupational Health; D009858:Oncogenic Viruses; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000635:transmission; D014422:Turkeys; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015047:Zoonoses