Hypersensitivity lung disease in the turkey raising industry.

Abstract

Two hundred five subjects involved in raising or processing turkeys were surveyed for clinical and laboratory evidence of hypersensitivity lung disease. One hundred forty· two (69 per cent) described respiratory symptoms occuring within I hour after working with the birds. Thirteen workers (6 per cent) also reported dyspnea, cough, myalgia, and fever occurring 4 to 8 hours after exposure to turkeys. Sera from II per cent of the study population contained precipitating anti­ bodies against turkey serum, whereas 18 per cent of subjects had positive skin tests to turkey antigens. When compared with the group of 63 subjects without complaints, the symptomatic group had a significantly higher prevalence of precipitating antibodies to turkey serum, positive skin tests to both turkey and environmental antigens, elevated IgE levels, and atopic histories. Many of the immediate onset respiratory symptoms were considered to represent type I im­ munologic reactions, whereas delayed symptoms were thought .to represent type III reactions. This study showed that hypersensitivity pulmonary disease may occur in persons working with turkeys and that the delayed reactions closely resembled the same syndrome reported in pigeon and parakeet breeders.