title: Neurologic symptoms associated with cattle farming in the agricultural health study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Infection with Campylobacter jejuni, a bacterium carried by poultry and livestock, is the most frequently identified antecedent to the autoimmune neurologic condition Guillain-Barré Syndrome. We used Agricultural Health Study data to assess whether cattle farming was associated with prevalence of neurologic symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prevalence of self-reported symptoms in cattle farmers (n = 8878) was compared with farmers who did not work with animals (n = 7462), using multivariate regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of numbness and weakness were increased for beef and dairy farmers compared with the reference group (P < 0.0001). Of cattle farmers, 48% did not report raising other animal species, and prevalence of numbness and weakness were also increased in this subgroup compared with the reference group (P < 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occupational exposure to cattle was associated with increased prevalence of self-reported symptoms associated with peripheral neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. lvegosen@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: Leora
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vegosen
authors.forename: Meghan F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Silbergeld
authors.forename: Patrick N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Breysse
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Agnew
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Laura Beane
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Freya
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kamel
mesh_terms: D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report