title: Post-hire asthma among insect-rearing workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence of post-hire asthma (PHA) among insect-rearing workers, defined as asthma, the symptoms of which appeared after hire at the current workplace.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed the health of workers at three insect-rearing facilities and an associated office facility. We calculated the incidence and estimated hazard ratios for PHA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Post-hire asthma incidence in 157 insect-rearing workers was 16.2 per 1000 person-years compared with 9.2 per 1,000 person-years in 70 office workers. Workers with predominant exposure to Lepidoptera had an incidence of 26.9 per 1000 person-years and a hazard ratio of 5.5 (95% confidence interval: 1.6 to 23.9) adjusted for sex, race, and parental asthma. In contrast, the presence of specific immunoglobulin E to Lepidoptera antigens was not associated with PHA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Insect-rearing workers had a high incidence of PHA, primarily accounted for by workplace exposure to Lepidoptera.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Suarthana
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Paul K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Henneberger
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kreiss
authors.forename: Norman C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Leppla
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bueller
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Toni A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Bledsoe
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Janotka
authors.forename: Edward L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Petsonk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D015994:Incidence; D007313:Insecta / Q000276:immunology*; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E