Occupational coccidioidomycosis in California: outbreak investigation, respirator recommendations, and surveillance findings

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bailey R ; Cummings, Kristin J. ; Das R ; Dobraca D ; Fitzsimmons K ; Iossifova, Yulia Y. ; Kreiss, Kathleen ; Materna B ; McDowell A ; McNary, Jennifer ; Mohle-Boetani J ; Wheeler C
• Description:
  OBJECTIVE: To describe the investigation of a 2007 occupational coccidioidomycosis outbreak in California, recommend prevention measures, and assess statewide disease burden. METHODS: We evaluated the worksite, observed work practices, interviewed the workers and employer, reviewed medical records, provided prevention recommendations including risk-based respirator selection, and analyzed statewide workers' compensation claims. RESULTS: Ten of 12 workers developed acute pulmonary coccidioidomycosis; none used respiratory protection. We recommended engineering, work practice, and administrative controls, powered air-purifying respirator use, and medical care. Occupational coccidioidomycosis incidence nearly quadrupled in California from 2000 to 2006, with the highest rates in construction and agricultural workers. CONCLUSIONS: Construction workers are at risk for occupational coccidioidomycosis. The high attack rate in this outbreak was due to lack of awareness, rainfall patterns, soil disruption, and failure to use appropriate controls. Multiple risk-based measures are needed to control occupational coccidioidomycosis in endemic areas. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Communicable Disease Control Construction Industry Delivery Of Health Care Engineering Fungi Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Surveys And Questionnaires

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• Keywords:
  Administration Agricultural-workers Air-purifying-respirators Construction-workers Control-methods Control-systems Disease-control Disease-incidence Disease-prevention Engineering-controls Fungal-diseases Fungal-infections Health-surveys Medical-care Medical-monitoring Outdoors Personal-protective-equipment Pulmonary-system-disorders Respirators Respiratory-system-disorders Surveillance-programs Work-practices

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• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Georgia ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 9 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  54
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20040730
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2012 May; 54(5):564-571
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr Rupali Das, MD, MPH, Environmental Health Investigations Branch, California Department of Public Health, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, P-3, Richmond, CA 94804
• Email:
  Rupali.das@cdph.ca.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• Performing Organization:
  Public Health Institute
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:02af789f6c0af869fe59ea21ae93f8a33650b69b1e5dc9c94497e0a4f07af6a01238b3648f5a96d44cfb45df6842a640f00b8470c58dde38a417a50580d4007d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/193492/cdc_193492_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 327.68 KB ]