59 cases of occupational asthma

Occupational asthma (OA) has become the most common work-related respiratory disease.We carried out a retrospective descriptive study to investigate the prevalence of OA in southern Tunisia from 2002 to 2009, to support its diagnostic strategy, to describe the epidemiological features of affected subjects, and to identify the preventive and medico-legal etiological factors of the disease. Fifty-nine cases of PA were collected in our study, with a mean age of 42+/- 9 years. Most of the patients were manual workers. In the context of our study, occupational disease declarations were essentially made on the basis of 3 tables: table N°42 relating to isocyanates; table N°56 relating to cereals and flour; table N°58 corresponding to other agents responsible for allergic respiratory affections. Of the 59 cases reported, 38 were recognized as occupational diseases. A permanent partial disability rate was assigned to each recognized case (average permanent partial disability rate was 24.07%).