California's seasonal population of up to 1 million migrant farm workers and family members is suffering an "invisible epidemic" of work-related injuries, according to a UC Davis researcher."They're at high risk for occupational injuries ranging from minor muscle sprains to fatal trauma," says Stephen A. McCurdy, an associate professor of medicine at the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center and a researcher with the UC Davis Agricultural Health and Safety Center. McCurdy is among six researchers selected within the nine-campus UC system to deliver one of the prestigious 1997 Wellness Lectures. His talk, "Occupational Injury Among California Migrant Hispanic Farm Workers: Fighting the Invisible Epidemic," is free and is open to the public. It will be held at 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20, at the University Club on campus. McCurdy recently finished collecting data on injuries suffered during six consecutive months by a group of 1,100 migrant Hispanic farm workers. He conducted his study as if he were searching for the cause of a disease outbreak.Workers were regularly surveyed to identify "hot spots" --the most injury-prone locations, crops, and harvesting conditions and situations.McCurdy says his findings are not intended to penalize farms but to identify areas for further study and prevention efforts.