title: Surveillance of hospital contacts among Danish seafarers and fishermen with focus on skin and infectious diseases-a population-based cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A systematic overview of time trends in hospital contacts among Danish seafarers and fishermen by job title and analyses on skin and infectious diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Occupational cohorts with hospital contacts 1994-1998 and 1999-2003. Standardized hospital contact ratios (SHCR) were estimated using national rates and ranked by SHCR size.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For non-officers in 1994-1998, infectious diseases had the highest SHCR, followed by neoplastic and endocrinal diseases; in 1999-2003 skin diseases were followed by endocrinal and gastrointestinal diseases. For fishermen in 1994-1998, nervous system, gastrointestinal, and skin diseases had the highest SHCRs; in 1999-2003 it was nervous system, skin, and lymphohematopoietic diseases. As for skin diseases, male fishermen and non-officer seamen generally had increased SHCRs, but engine room personnel specifically had a low SHCR for eczema (eight cases). Fishermen had high SHCRs for tuberculosis in both time periods (six and nine cases, respectively). Non-officer seamen on cargo ships had increased SHCRs for HIV in both time periods and for hepatitis in 1994-1999. Extending the follow-up until 2000 or 2005 showed similar results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surveillance of seamen's health gives useful information. The elevated SHCR for HIV infection among non-officers has not declined despite preventive information campaigns. Tuberculosis among fishermen may be due to infection on shore. Skin diseases had very high SHCRs, not due to cutaneous oil exposure.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense 5000, Denmark. L.Kaerlev@dadlnet.dk.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaerlev
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health, Hospital of South Western Jutland, Esbjerg 6700, Denmark. anker.jensen@dadlnet.dk.
authors.forename: Anker
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Health, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark. hha@arbejdsmiljoforskning.dk.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hannerz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005398:Fisheries; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016272:Occupational Health; D012767:Ships; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult