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Occupational Medicine 1982;32:66-72
© 1982 Society of Occupational Medicine

Respiratory Mycotic Affection: Sputum Examination of Workers in a Flax Plant in Egypt

Nabil Ebeid, H. Omar, M. Refai and R. Soliman

Egyptian Armed Forces, Medical Services
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University

The flax industry is very old in Egypt. A very primitive plant used in the industry has been chosen for this study. The sputum of 150 individuals exposed to flax dust were collected on three successive days and inoculated on both Sabourand's dextrose agar and brain heart infusion agar to test for fungal growth. Skin tests were performed for the positive culture of Aspergillus species.

Of the 150 workers, 74 showed fungal growth on 3 successive days' samples. The following strains were discovered in order of frequency. A. mucor; A. niger, A. fumigatus; A Jlavus; Candida albicans; yeast; Trichithisum; and Penicillium.

This is the first time A. fumigatus has been recorded in Egypt.

A. fumigatus has not been discovered in this study among the control subjects in the same plant not exposed to flax dust.

The prevalence of particular fungi in the sputum of workers exposed to flax fibres has to be further studied for their probable role in initiating the occurrence of byssinosis. Differentiation must be made also between truly byssinotic subjects and those having extrinsic allergic alveolitis.

Accepted        1 June 1981


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