Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Coal Workers

Abstract

Aspergillus infection of the lungs is known to affect particularly those individuals whose hobbies or occupations bring them into prolonged and inti-mate contact with domestic birds or grain (Jacob-son, 1932; van Ordstrand, 1940; Coe, 1945). These are generally accepted as common sources of infec-tion occurring by the respira-tory route. The condition thus appears to have a dis-tinct relationship to occupa-tion. In an extensive search v of the literature no instance has been discovered in which pulmonary aspergillosis oc-curred in a miner with or without pneumoconiosis, and there is no reference to it in; the textbook on aspergilli by Thom and Raper (1945). The rarity with which dusty occu-pations and fungus infection are associated is attested by q the fact that Case 1 repre--.L.. sents the sole occasionr on which aspergillosis or any other fungus disease has been detected in a continuous series of over 650 necropsies performed on Welsh coal workers during the past five years, and Case 2 is the only instance in a miscellaneous group of 267 necropsies on 4 coal miners from various other coal fields in Great Britain. e *Working with a grant from