Prevalence of latent eosinophilia among occupational gardeners at Babcock University,Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: To determine the level of eosinophils, present in the blood and sputum samples, presumably as a result of continual occupational exposure to allergens while on duty, as gardeners at Babcock University, Nigeria. Methods: A Haemocytometer and Olympus microscope were utilized to estimate the eosinophils population in 44 blood samples and 21 sputum samples respectively. Results: The relationship between the occurrence of eosinophil in blood and the exposure period among Babcock University gardeners had a positive correlation (r =+0.08, t=4.55, P<0.05). It was found that blood eosinophil counts in these workers correlated with the length of exposure period. Conclusions: Nature and gardening activities are not a risk factor that significantly affects eosinophil levels but duration of exposure to allergens. However, all safety precautionary kits and wears should be forced and embraced by the concerned occupational gardeners to avert and subvert its predisposing deleterious effect on them.