title: Allergy among veterinary medicine students in The Netherlands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Veterinary medicine students who practice with animals are potentially exposed to many occupational agents, yet sensitisation and allergic symptoms among this group have not been studied extensively.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of sensitisation and allergic symptoms in veterinary medicine students in association with study specialisation over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Blood was collected and tested for total and specific serum IgE for 16 different common and study-specific allergens using enzyme immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  New development of self-reported allergic symptoms to various allergens occurred in 8.7%, of which 44% was deducted against animals. Handling farm animals was strongly associated with self-reported allergies to various allergens (OR=6.9, 95% CI 1.9 to 25) and animal allergens (OR=12, 95% CI 1.4 to 103). Sensitisation to at least one allergen occurred in 33.1%. Sensitisation prevalence tended to be elevated in later years of the equine study program. In contrast to self-reported allergies, the prevalence of sensitisation to any allergen decreased with prolonged study duration for those specialising in farm animal health (years 3-5: OR=0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 1.1; year 6: OR=0.2, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.5). This was independent of whether people were raised on a farm, which is in itself a protective factor for allergy and sensitisation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence of an elevated prevalence of allergic symptoms with increasing years of veterinary study, suggesting that contact with animals, more specifically contact to farm animals, is a risk factor for the development of symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sadegh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samadi
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spithoven
authors.forename: Ali-Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jamshidifard
authors.forename: Boyd R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Berends
authors.forename: Len
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lipman
authors.forename: Dick J J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Heederik
authors.forename: Inge M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Wouters
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004520:Education, Veterinary / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E