An estimated 4.2 million seasonal and migrant farmworkers and their dependents 
live in the U.S. Most of these farmworkers are Latino. These workers are exposed 
to numerous occupational and environmental risk factors that can result in skin 
disease. Few data exist on the prevalence of skin disease in this population. 
The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence and predictors of skin 
disease in a sample of Latino farmworkers in North Carolina. A sample of 59 
farmworkers was recruited and interviewed at two camps during the 2004 
agricultural season. A dermatologist completed a skin exam of each worker and 
recorded any skin disease present. Forty-two (77.7%) of the 54 men, and all five 
of the women examined had a diagnosed skin disease. For the men, onychomycosis 
(nail fungus, 31.5%), tinea pedis (foot fungus, 27.8%), and acne (24.1 %) were 
the most commonly diagnosed skin diseases, with contact dermatitis diagnosed in 
5.6% of the sample. Other diagnoses included scars, sunburn, and atopic 
dermatitis. Among the women, diagnoses included melasma (dark patches on the 
face, 2 cases), xerosis (excessively dry skin, 1 case), tinea pedis (2 cases), 
onychomycosis (1 case), acne (1 case), and insect bites (1 case). There were no 
statistically significant differences between workers in the two camps despite 
different growing seasons and different crops harvested. Skin disease is 
prevalent among the North Carolina Latino farmworkers who participated in this 
study, with fungal disease being the most prevalent.