Barn Personnel Experience Higher-Than Average Rates of Respiratory Symptoms

	Tweet

The estimated 4.6 million Americans involved in the equine industry may be at risk of developing respiratory symptoms due to poor air quality in horse barns, according to a questionnaire study undertaken earlier this year by investigators at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
The study—which polled more than 80 New England horse barn workers—found that 50 percent of individuals working in barns complained of coughing, wheezing, or other ailments in the last year, compared to just 15 percent in the control group of 74 people. Moreover, increased exposure to barns yielded higher rates of self-reported respiratory symptoms, the study reports. The study was published in the journal Occupational Medicine and funded by the National Institutes of Health.

“It has long been known that lower respiratory illness is common in horses, and this is typically attributed to the amount of dust in barns,” said Melissa R. Mazan, DVM, associate professor of clinical sciences at the Cummings School and the study’s lead author.

“Our hope was to see whether this poor air quality affects horse owners, and it appears that it might.”

For the study, Mazan and her colleagues at the Cummings School—including Jessica Svatek, Louise Maranda, and Andrew M. Hoffman—collaborated with researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, the University of Connecticut, and the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Research Triangle Park.

Although further study is necessary to determine the causes of respiratory distress, Dr. Mazan says, the results are striking—and may be similar among pig, dairy and chicken farmers, who work in environments similarly high in organic dust. A 2001 study of European animal farmers found similar results.

Investigation of exposure to the dust, lung function and horse dander allergies in the barn-exposed group will be necessary to determine how best to protect the health of this group, Dr. Mazan says.

Pulmonology research is one of four NIH-funded basic science divisions at the Cummings School, which also conducts research on infectious diseases, liver and hepatic illness, and reproduction and neurobiology, in addition to robust clinical, international, and sustainability research.

# # #

Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
Founded in 1978 in North Grafton, Mass., Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University is internationally esteemed for academic programs that impact society and the practice of veterinary medicine; three hospitals and two clinics that combined treat more than 80,000 animals each year; and groundbreaking research that benefits animal, public, and environmental health.

About Tufts University
Tufts University, located on three Massachusetts campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville, and Grafton, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the premier research universities in the United States. Tufts enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions. A growing number of innovative teaching and research initiatives span all Tufts campuses, and collaboration among the faculty and students in the undergraduate, graduate and professional programs across the university’s schools is widely encouraged.

Thomas Keppeler
508-839-7910

RELATED STORIES:
One in four smokers will get lung disease   Air travel may be risky for lung disease patients   PAI-1 Gene Could Be Important Biomarker of Risk in Patients With Severe Pneumonia   Long-Term Antibiotics Reduce COPD Exacerbations, Raise Questions   Low birth weight linked to long-term respiratory problems   Experimental vaccine wards off lung infection   Snoring may not signal breathing problems - study   Caffeine helps preemies’ breathing   Serious blood clots common in COPD   Long-term use of popular inhalers increases risk of pneumonia for COPD patients   Obesity may boost pneumonia risk in men   Scientists find predisposition to bronchiolitis in some babies

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]