Incidence, prevalence and mortality rates for occupational lung disease are not well documented and are unreliable. Individual occupational lung diseases have separate prevalence and incidence rates, such as, farmer’s lung has an incidence of 270 cases per 100,000 in 2012. Whilst the mortality rates for work-related disease are approximately 63,000 deaths in 2012. Disease manifestation is correlated to the frequency, duration and dose of inhalational exposure. Occupational lung disease has no predilection to race or gender, however, males tend to work in environments where exposure is common, therefore more males suffer from occupational lung disease. Occupational lung disease, particularly, coal worker’s pneumoconiosis is a common disease that tends to affect coal miners in West Virginia and Kentucky, USA and South Wales, UK.

There are no reliable figures for the incidence or prevalence of occupational lung disease.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]}

• Farmer’s lung:
  • The incidence for farmer’s lung was 8-540 cases per 100,000 in 2012.
• Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis and silicosis:
  • Among coal workers worldwide:
    • 300 per 100, 000 developed coal worker’s pneumonconiosis
    • 25 per 100,000 developed progressive massive fibrosis
  • In 30 years of exposure, 120 per 100,000 will develop silicosis and 24 per 100,000 will die from silicosis.
• Asbestosis
  • In 1972, it was reported that 250,000 people were at risk in the US.

• There is no reliable data for the case-fatality rate of occupational lung disease.
• Mortality rates depend on the substance inhaled, as well as the frequency, duration and dose of inhalational exposure.
• Cardiopulmonary and genetic factors of the host also contribute to mortality rate.
• Overall, there was approximately 60,300 deaths from work-related disease in 2012.

Occupational lung disease commonly affects older individuals who have been exposed longer to a particular substance.

There is no racial predilection to occupational lung disease.

Males are more commonly affected by occupational lung disease than females, reflecting the occupations in which exposure is present.

• Occupational lung disease, particularly, coal worker’s pneumoconiosis is a common disease that tends to affect coal miners in West Virginia and Kentucky, USA and South Wales, UK.
• The United Kingdom, Sweden and France have a high prevalence of farmer’s lung.
• Australia, Japan, South Africa and parts of the European Union still use asbestos as an insulation material.