Exposures to Respirable, Airborne Penicillium from a Contaminated Ventilation System: Clinical, Environmental and Epidemiological Aspects

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Symptoms compatible with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) in two of fourteen employees in a clerical office prompted an investigation of their work environment. Forced-air heater-cooler units which had not been properly maintained were implicated when they were found to be grossly contaminated with predominantlyPenicillium molds. Air-sampling for viable, respirable-size particulates in the affected office and an unaffected office in the same building demonstrated a 5O- to 80-fold excess in the number of colony-forming-units per cubic meter of air in the affected office. Persistent alveolitis was documented by repeated bronchoalveolar lavage, gallium scan, and other studies in one affected worker whose peripheral lymphocytes underwent blast transformation in response toPenicillium antigens obtained by air-sampling in the work environment. The other affected worker had asthma, presumably exacerbated by exposures to a variety of inhaled environmental irritants and antigens. Despite a documented reduction of...

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: