The talk details are as follows.
Please note that this talk starts at *1pm *and there will be
cheese/snacks from around 12.
Ting-Li
Title: Metal Fume and Risk of Infectious Pneumonia
Speaker: David Coggon (MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, Southampton
University)
Venue: Fylde SCR, Lancaster University
Time: 2009-11-26 *13:00 Thursday* (Cheese biscuits, Snacks FROM 12:00)
[Abstract]
This presentation will describe how routine epidemiological surveillance
has led to the discovery of a previously unrecognised occupational
health hazard. Findings from a national analysis of occupational
mortality for 1979-90 indicated elevated PMRs for pneumonia in welders
and other occupations involving exposure to metal fume. Further
investigation revealed that this had been a consistent observation over
more than 50 years. A subsequent case-control study in the West Midlands
confirmed that the elevation of risk extended to non-fatal,
community-acquired pneumonia treated in hospital. The evidence that has
been accumulated indicates that the hazard is principally for lobar
pneumonia; extends to disease caused by other infectious agents as well
as the pneumococcus; is caused by ferrous fume and possibly by other
metals; and disappears once exposure ceases. Research is now underway to
explore possible pathogenetic mechanisms so that exposure-response
relationships can be better characterised, and strategies can be
developed to reduce risk.
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