Farmer’s Lung Disease

Occupational lung disease is a lung disease or disorder that occurs due to the inhalation of dangerous particles, mist, vapors, or gases while a person is working. The materials accumulate in the respiratory tract or lungs. The type of lung disease that occurs depends on the size and type of the inhaled material. Substances that cause occupational lung disease are toxic materials called noksa. Noksa is a substance that can cause damage to the anatomical structure of body organs and cause respiratory tract function disorders. The lung disease that many farmers experience is often called farmer's lung disease (FLD). FLD is part of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). HP, also known as extrinsic allergic alveolitis, is a group of lung diseases caused by the inhalation of various antigenic organic materials. The most common cause is exposure to agricultural biological dust derived from straw, mold spores, or other dust. HP can be a secondary reaction due to repeated and prolonged inhalation of specific antigens in sensitive individuals. Diagnosis of FLD is often inaccurate. Many of these cases are diagnosed as idiopathic interstitial lung disease. A complete anamnesis should be performed, especially regarding the history of exposure to moldy hay, previous work, and domestic animals, to determine the existence of a history of exposure to the antigen and to confirm the diagnosis.

Early Detection Methods for Silicosis in Australia and Internationally: A Review of the Literature

Pneumoconiosis, or occupational lung disease, is one of the world’s most prevalent work-related diseases. Silicosis, a type of pneumoconiosis, is caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust. Although silicosis can be fatal, it is completely preventable. Hundreds of thousands of workers globally are at risk of being exposed to RCS at the workplace from various activities in many industries. Currently, in Australia and internationally, there are a range of methods used for the respiratory surveillance of workers exposed to RCS. These methods include health and exposure questionnaires, spirometry, chest X-rays, and HRCT. However, these methods predominantly do not detect the disease until it has significantly progressed. For this reason, there is a growing body of research investigating early detection methods for silicosis, particularly biomarkers. This literature review summarises the research to date on early detection methods for silicosis and makes recommendations for future work in this area. Findings from this review conclude that there is a critical need for an early detection method for silicosis, however, further laboratory- and field-based research is required.

A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY TO ASSESS THE AWARENESS REGARDING BYSSINOSIS & ITS PREVENTION AMONG TEXTILE WORKERS AT JODHPUR, WITH A VIEW TO DEVELOP INFORMATION BOOKLET

INTRODUCTION: Byssinosis is one of the oldest occupational lung disease, which is incurable and is caused by inhalation of cotton dust. Byssinosis is preventable disease. Still this disease kills thousands of workers around the worlds every year. Various studies have should that the textile workers due not having awareness regarding byssinosis and its prevention. In this study, distribution of booklet among textile workers is an attempt to improve the knowledge regarding byssinosis and it/s prevention. AIM OF THE STUDY: Assess the awareness regarding byssinosis & its prevention among textile workers. METERIAL AND METHOD: A descriptive study was carried out to assess the awareness of 100 textile workers selected by purposive sampling, who were workers in different textile mill in Jodhpur Rajasthan were assessed by using a structured knowledge questionnaire and analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. RESULT: The findings of the study reveals that to the level of awareness shows that majority (73%) of the sample had poor awareness followed by 19% had good awareness and remaining (8%) sample had average awareness regarding byssinosis and its prevention. However the majority of the demographic variables such as age, level of education, marital status, religion, monthly income, working experience, type of work, working hours per day and existing pulmonary disease were found significant association with the level of awareness regarding Byssinosis and its prevention except age of starting work and duration of smoking. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that textile workers have poor awareness regarding byssinosis as per current research recommendations. They require education and to enhance their awareness regarding byssinosis. Self-information booklets were distributed to them to improve the awareness regarding byssinosis and its prevention. KEY WORDS: Awareness, Textile workers, Byssinosis, Information booklet.

The South African Experience: Litigating Remedies

Many transnational corporations (TNCs) that conducted business in South Africa during apartheid had deemed it profitable and desirable, despite the country’s systemic human rights violations against its majority black population. In the aftermath of the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre and 1976 student uprising, various United Nations and other international resolutions condemned TNCs for their incestuous relationship with apartheid South Africa and called for international sanctions against the regime. The demise of apartheid in 1994 brought about a new democratic, constitutional dispensation based on respect for human rights. However, attempts at holding TNCs liable for aiding and abetting the apartheid regime were fraught with obstacles and proved unsuccessful. Yet, the pursuit of strategic, class action litigation in areas as diverse as collusive conduct in bread manufacturing to occupational lung disease in South Africa’s goldmining industry have proven to be more successful in developing legal remedies against corporate harm. Areas impacted are extended legal standing under the common law, development of new causes of action and generous application of contingence fees arrangement.

Comparative Transcriptome Analyses Reveal a Transcriptional Landscape of Human Silicosis Lungs and Provide Potential Strategies for Silicosis Treatment

Silicosis is a fatal occupational lung disease which currently has no effective clinical cure. Recent studies examining the underlying mechanism of silicosis have primarily examined experimental models, which may not perfectly reflect the nature of human silicosis progression. A comprehensive profiling of the molecular changes in human silicosis lungs is urgently needed. Here, we conducted RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on the lung tissues of 10 silicosis patients and 7 non-diseased donors. A total of 2,605 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and critical pathway changes were identified in human silicosis lungs. Further, the DEGs in silicosis were compared with those in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), to extend current knowledge about the disease mechanisms and develop potential drugs. This analysis revealed both common and specific regulations in silicosis, along with several critical genes (e.g., MUC5AC and FGF10), which are potential drug targets for silicosis treatment. Drugs including Plerixafor and Retinoic acid were predicted as potential candidates in treating silicosis. Overall, this study provides the first transcriptomic fingerprint of human silicosis lungs. The comparative transcriptome analyses comprehensively characterize pathological regulations resulting from silicosis, and provide valuable cues for silicosis treatment.

Burden of occupational lung disease

The article presents the basic concepts of the burden of occupational diseases, the modern concept of burden assessment is considered. The burden of occupational respiratory diseases (bronchial asthma, COPD, lung cancer, pneumoconiosis, hypersensitive pneumonitis) is analyzed. In connection with the significant socio-economic damage caused by occupational diseases of the respiratory system, attention is drawn to the need to improve the effectiveness of preventive measures in the field of respiratory health protection of employees of harmful (dangerous) industries.