Winston-Salem, NC – Latino poultry-processing workers are twice as likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome as their peers in other industries, according to research from Wake Forest University.

Researchers compared symptoms and nerve tests for 287 Latino poultry-processing workers to 226 Latino workers in other manual-labor occupations, according to the study abstract. The prevalence of CTS was 8.7 percent among poultry workers, compared with 4.0 percent in the other group.

Among poultry workers, CTS was more common for workers who performed strenuous and repetitive hand movements than those whose duties included packing, sanitation and chilling.

The study appeared in the February issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.