Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Canadian Medical Association Journal logoLink to Canadian Medical Association Journal
. 1981 Jul 1;125(1):41–46.

Respiratory disorders in Manitoba cattle farmers.

C P Warren
PMCID: PMC1862597  PMID: 7260808

Abstract

A group of 76 cattle farmers from southern Manitoba answered the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute questionnaire on respiratory symptoms and supplementary questions on farming and farming-related syndromes. Lung function was tested, serum was examined for precipitating antibodies, and skin testing with common allergens was performed. Analysis of the men's answers revealed a high prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms among the farmers in all categories of smoking history, and the presence of these symptoms was significantly associated with a history of symptoms related to handling mouldy hay or grain; 51% of the men had chronic symptoms and 55% had symptoms related to crop handling. In seven farmers (9%) the symptoms related to crop handling suggested an attack of farmer's lung. One other farmer, with a history of illness after handling mouldy hay, had a reduced total lung capacity, and in 18 the ratio of the forced expiratory volume in the first second to the forced vital capacity was lower than predicted. Precipitating antibodies against Thermoactinomyces were absent in all farmers, but two farmers had antibodies against Aspergillus ruber. Immediate hypersensitivity was found in 16 (21%) of the farmers; sensitivity to Dermatophagoides farinae was commonest.

Full text

PDF
41

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anthonisen N. R., Danson J., Robertson P. C., Ross W. R. Airway closure as a function of age. Respir Physiol. 1969 Dec;8(1):58–65. doi: 10.1016/0034-5687(69)90044-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BATES D. V., WOOLF C. R., PAUL G. I. A report on the first two stages of the co-ordinated study of chronic bronchitis in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Canada. Med Serv J Can. 1962 Apr;18:211–303. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Barbee R. A., Callies Q., Dickie H. A., Rankin J. The long-term prognosis in farmer's lung. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1968 Feb;97(2):223–231. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1968.97.2.223. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Berrens L., de Ridder G., de Boer F. Longitudinal studies of immunological parameters in Farmer's lung. Scand J Respir Dis. 1977 Aug;58(4):205–214. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Charbonneau R., Siegfried C., Bernier J. Trois observations cliniques récentes de la maladie du poumon du fermier. Union Med Can. 1970 Oct;99(10):1828–1836. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cherniack R. M., Raber M. B. Normal standards for ventilatory function using an automated wedge spirometer. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1972 Jul;106(1):38–46. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1972.106.1.38. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cuthbert O. D., Brostoff J., Wraith D. G., Brighton W. D. 'Barn allergy': asthma and rhinitis due to storage mites. Clin Allergy. 1979 May;9(3):229–236. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1979.tb01547.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Edwards J. H. The double dialysis method of producing farmer's lung antigens. J Lab Clin Med. 1972 Apr;79(4):683–688. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ghose T., Landrigan P., Killeen R., Dill J. Immunopathological studies in patients with farmer's lung. Clin Allergy. 1974 Jun;4(2):119–129. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1974.tb01369.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Grant I. W., Blyth W., Wardrop V. E., Gordon R. M., Pearson J. C., Mair A. Prevalence of farmer's lung in Scotland: a pilot survey. Br Med J. 1972 Feb 26;1(5799):530–534. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5799.530. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ingram C. G., Jeffrey I. G., Symington I. S., Cuthbert O. D. Bronchial provocation studies in farmers allergic to storage mites. Lancet. 1979 Dec 22;2(8156-8157):1330–1332. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)92814-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. LONGBOTTOM J. L., PEPYS J. PULMONARY ASPERGILLOSIS: DIAGNOSTIC AND IMMUNOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ANTIGENS AND C-SUBSTANCE IN ASPERGILLUS FUMIGATUS. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1964 Jul;88:141–151. doi: 10.1002/path.1700880119. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lefcoe N. M., Wonnacott T. H. Chronic respiratory disease in four occupational groups. Arch Environ Health. 1974 Sep;29(3):143–146. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1974.10666551. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Madsen D., Klock L. E., Wenzel F. J., Robbins J. L., Schmidt C. D. The prevalence of farmer's lung in an agricultural population. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1976 Feb;113(2):171–174. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1976.113.2.171. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Manfreda J., Nelson N., Cherniack R. M. Prevalence of respiratory abnormalities in a rural and an urban community. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1978 Feb;117(2):215–226. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1978.117.2.215. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Morgan D. C., Smyth J. T., Lister R. W., Pethybridge R. J., Gilson J. C., Callaghan P., Thomas G. O. Chest symptoms in farming communities with special reference to farmer's lung. Br J Ind Med. 1975 Aug;32(3):228–234. doi: 10.1136/oem.32.3.228. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Roberts R. C., Wenzel F. J., Emanuel D. A. Precipitating antibodies in a midwest dairy farming population toward the antigens associated with farmer's lung disease. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1976 Jun;57(6):518–524. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(76)90002-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. SCHAFFER N., MOLOMUT N., CENTER J. G. Studies on allergenic extracts. I. A new method for the preparation of mold extracts using a synthetic medium. Ann Allergy. 1959 May-Jun;17(3):380–384. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Terho E. O., Lacey J. Microbiological and serological studies of farmers' lung in Finland. Clin Allergy. 1979 Jan;9(1):43–52. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1979.tb01521.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Warren C. P., Manfreda J. Respiratory symptoms in Manitoba farmers: association with grain and hay handling. Can Med Assoc J. 1980 Jun 7;122(11):1259–1264. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Warren C. P., Tse K. S., Cherniack R. M. Mechanical properties of the lung in extrinsic allergic alveolitis. Thorax. 1978 Jun;33(3):315–321. doi: 10.1136/thx.33.3.315. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Warren W. P., Mandl M. A., Rose B. Farmer's lung. Can Med Assoc J. 1969 Apr 19;100(15):699–704. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Wenzel F. J., Gray R. L., Emanuel D. A. Farmer's lung, its geographic distribution. J Occup Med. 1970 Dec;12(12):493–496. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Wenzel F. J., Gray R. L., Roberts R. C., Emanuel D. A. Serologic studies in farmer's lung. Precipitins to the thermophilic actinomycetes. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1974 Apr;109(4):464–468. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1974.109.4.464. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Canadian Medical Association Journal are provided here courtesy of Canadian Medical Association

RESOURCES