Prevalence of fungal chest infection among workers in Sharkia cotton ginner and rice haller factories

ABSTRACT

In this study 100 exposed workers of the cotton ginner and the rice huller factories were examined clinically, mycologically by sputum culture, and immunologically for detection of precipitins in their sera against mould antigen. Sixty workers in the cotton ginner factory included 40 symptomatic and 20 asymptomatic workers, while in the rice huller factory 25 workers were symptomatic and 15 were asymptomatic, 20 matched control workers not exposed to the cotton and rice dust were examined. In addition air samples were collected from different departments of the cotton and rice factories searching for fungi; especially [Aspergillus species], Mucor and Rhizopus. Different species of fungi could be isolated from the sputae of many workers; Asp. mgier, Asp. flavus, Asp. fumigatus, Rhizopus and Mucor. The precipitin tests were positive in 18 cases out of 100 cases examined [18%]