Coccidioidomycosis Outbreak Among Workers Constructing a Solar Power Farm — Monterey County, California, 2016–2017

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
• Personal Author:
  Laws, Rebecca L. ; Sondermeyer Cooksey, Gail ; Jain, Seema ; Wilken, Jason A. ; McNary, Jennifer ; Moreno, Edward ; Michie, Kristy ; Mulkerin, Christy ; McDowell, Ann ; Vugia, Duc C. ; Materna, Barbara L.
• Description:
  What is already known about this topic? Workers performing soil-disturbing activities are at risk for coccidioidomycosis, an infection caused by inhaling the soil-dwelling fungus Coccidioides. What is added by this report? Nine confirmed coccidioidomycosis cases were identified among 2,410 solar farm workers in California. The incidence among workers (1,095 per 100,000 persons/year) was 4.4 to 210.6 times higher than background county rates, providing evidence that illness was work-related. What are the implications for public health practice? Employers should take measures to protect workers from dust exposure in areas where Coccidioides is endemic, involvement of public health practitioners is needed in the review of proposed construction that might expose workers to coccidioidomycosis, and clinicians should suspect coccidioidomycosis in patients with a clinically compatible illness who work outdoors. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coccidioidomycosis Communicable Diseases Construction Industry Dust Epidemiology Full Report Occupational Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Risk Factors Safety

  More +
• Keywords:
  Dust exposure; Coccidioidomycosis; Valley Fever; Solar energy; Utility workers; Construction workers; Infectious diseases; Occupational exposure; Outdoor workers; Fungal infections; Epidemiology
• Source:
  MMWR 2018 Aug; 67(33):931-934
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• DOI:
  http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6733a4
• ISSN:
  0149-2195
• Pubmed ID:
  30138303
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC6107319
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Georgia ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  4 pdf pages
• Volume:
  67
• Issue:
  33
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20066537
• Email:
  rlaws@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Performing Organization:
  Public Health Institute
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:840c1f43a95fca982cb5dac1e7ad38152ead729442eafdc94dae267cf51bb1734922faee99a2a104c95be8b165077113901378ea6a5e1a936573355c856e6986
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/58790/cdc_58790_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 104.78 KB ]