Prevalence in 2008 of occupational contact dermatitis to mercaptobenzothiazole in professionnal fisherman population and prognostic after 3 years evolution

Introduction
Despite being well-known allergens, mercaptobenzothiazole and its derivatives continue to be widely used in natural and synthetic rubber. This rubber is used to make the major part of personal protective equipment for professional seafarers. The purpose of this work is to know how occupational contact dermatitis due to sensitivity to this product can occur in the maritime activities and its prevalence as well as its impact on the work.

Methods
Analyze medical files of professional seafarers who declared allergic skin disease to Mercaptobenzothiazole in 2008.
Then calculate prevalence of this affection among 35 563 professional seafarers exposed to synthetic rubber in France during wearing protective equipment.
Try to know the prognostic to continue 3 different types of activities : fishing, shell culture, merchant seafaring.

Results
3 cases had been found. All cases in professional fishermen. Hands, feet and legs are the areas affected by these skin diseases. Eczema coud be dyshidrotic and no one had previous dermatological history nor atopy. For these 3 cases, although exposure stop, dermatitis is persistent. This is why they quited their job at sea.

Discussion
Occupational contact dermatitis to MBT does not seem to be very frequent during fishing activities. It is due to wearing personal wet allergenic protective equipment for long hours and sensitivity appearing after many working years. In 2008, we had a prevalence of 1/10 000 in professional fisherman population. The occupational prognostic of this disease is bad because it is frequently leading sensitized workers to quit their jobs.