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Endemic work-related febrile respiratory illness among construction workers.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Epling, CA; Rose, CS; Martyny, JW; Zhen, B; Alexander, W; Waldron, JA; Kreiss, K
Published in: Am J Ind Med
August 1995

Construction workers building Denver International Airport (DIA) reported work-related respiratory and flulike symptoms of several months duration. We performed a cross-sectional interview study of 495 randomly selected DIA workers from six contractors in comparison with preplacement workers. We defined cases as workers with two work-attributed lower respiratory symptoms and one work-attributed systemic symptom. Case rates were significantly higher among DIA workers (34%) compared with those who had never worked at DIA (2%). Risk factors for illness included exposure to fireproofing (OR, 4.21; 95% CI, 1.95-9.08), work in tunnels and adjoining areas (OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.84-5.12), length of DIA employment (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.46-0.92), and preexisting bronchitis (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.17-5.05). Our industrial hygiene investigation revealed alkaline dust (pH 11) present at a worksite associated with elevated risk of illness, and we identified airborne Penicillium mold widely distributed indoors at DIA. Clinical evaluation of 26 self-identified symptomatic DIA employees, including bronchoalveolar lavage and biopsy in 10, revealed work-related asthma in three workers and histologic evidence of chronic bronchitis in four who had never smoked. We concluded that future investigations of endemic work-related febrile respiratory illness among construction workers should evaluate its association with indoor exposure to dusts from alkaline fireproofing, Penicillium mold, mycotoxins, and bacterial bioaerosols.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Am J Ind Med

DOI

ISSN

0271-3586

Publication Date

August 1995

Volume

28

Issue

2

Start / End Page

193 / 205

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Respiratory Tract Diseases
  • Occupational Diseases
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Facility Design and Construction
  • Environmental & Occupational Health
  • Dust
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Construction Materials
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Epling, C. A., Rose, C. S., Martyny, J. W., Zhen, B., Alexander, W., Waldron, J. A., & Kreiss, K. (1995). Endemic work-related febrile respiratory illness among construction workers. Am J Ind Med, 28(2), 193–205. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.4700280205
Epling, C. A., C. S. Rose, J. W. Martyny, B. Zhen, W. Alexander, J. A. Waldron, and K. Kreiss. “Endemic work-related febrile respiratory illness among construction workers.Am J Ind Med 28, no. 2 (August 1995): 193–205. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.4700280205.
Epling CA, Rose CS, Martyny JW, Zhen B, Alexander W, Waldron JA, et al. Endemic work-related febrile respiratory illness among construction workers. Am J Ind Med. 1995 Aug;28(2):193–205.
Epling, C. A., et al. “Endemic work-related febrile respiratory illness among construction workers.Am J Ind Med, vol. 28, no. 2, Aug. 1995, pp. 193–205. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/ajim.4700280205.
Epling CA, Rose CS, Martyny JW, Zhen B, Alexander W, Waldron JA, Kreiss K. Endemic work-related febrile respiratory illness among construction workers. Am J Ind Med. 1995 Aug;28(2):193–205.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Ind Med

DOI

ISSN

0271-3586

Publication Date

August 1995

Volume

28

Issue

2

Start / End Page

193 / 205

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Respiratory Tract Diseases
  • Occupational Diseases
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Facility Design and Construction
  • Environmental & Occupational Health
  • Dust
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Construction Materials