Frequency of skin diseases among sea fishermen in Basrah

The sea represents part of the southern border of Basrah. Working in and dealing with the sea water, mainly fishing, is the occupation of many Basrah citizens, where a number of them are attending the out patient clinic of Dermatology and Venereology at the Basrah Teaching Hospital suffering from skin diseases. Objectives: The objectiv of the present work is to evaluate the frequency of skin diseases among sea fishermen in Basrah. Patients and Methods: This is a case-control epidemiological study in which 230 sea fishermen have been collected from the fishing boats harbor (AlNagaah) at Al-Fao city during the period between May 2006 through July 2007. All of them were males and their ages were ranging from 12-72 years with a mean±SD 28.60±11.88. Two hundred thirty subjects attending the outpatient clinic of the general hospital of the same city, as companions of the patients, were enrolled in this study as a control group. They were of comparable age, sex, and season. Fishermen were excluded. Results: The study showed that marine stings (including jellyfish stings, seabather's eruption, stingray and stonefish stings) were specific for sea fishermen in comparison with control 48 (20.9%) Vs. 0, the frequency of other skin diseases were higher and achieved a statistical significance among sea fishermen in comparison with control group in the following skin diseases:, bacterial infection 35 (15.2%) Vs. 9 (3.9% ) , fungal infection 79 (34.3%) Vs.46 (20%), warts 25(10.9%) Vs. 9 (3.9%), sunburn 35 (15.2%) Vs. 13 (5.7%), facial wrinkling 9 (34.3) Vs.52 (22.6%), lentigens and freckles 36(15.7%) Vs .15 (6.5%), contact dermatitis 25(10.9%) Vs. 7(3%), palmer hyperkeratosis 130 (56.5%) Vs.43 (18.7%), miliaria 58 (25.2%) Vs.30 (13%) respectively. Some other skin diseases were also higher but did not reach a statistical significance: melasma , actinic chelitis, cutis rhomboidalis nuchae and chilblain; the other skin diseases were not different like cholinergic urticaria, seborrhoeic dermatitis and discoid lupus erythematosus. Conclusion: The present work showed that fishing in the sea is a hazardous occupation in which the fishermen are liable for different skin diseases caused by their hard working environment, so that dermatologists working in this area should be familiar with these diseases.