PMID- 30138303
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20180824
LR  - 20201209
IS  - 1545-861X (Electronic)
IS  - 0149-2195 (Print)
IS  - 0149-2195 (Linking)
VI  - 67
IP  - 33
DP  - 2018 Aug 24
TI  - Coccidioidomycosis Outbreak Among Workers Constructing a Solar Power Farm - 
      Monterey County, California, 2016-2017.
PG  - 931-934
LID - 10.15585/mmwr.mm6733a4 [doi]
AB  - In January 2017, two local health departments notified the California Department 
      of Public Health (CDPH) of three cases of coccidioidomycosis among workers 
      constructing a solar power installation (solar farm) in southeastern Monterey 
      County. Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, is an infection caused by inhalation 
      of the soil-dwelling fungus Coccidioides, which is endemic in the southwestern 
      United States, including California. After a 1-3 week incubation period, 
      coccidioidomycosis most often causes influenza-like symptoms or pneumonia, but 
      rarely can lead to severe disseminated disease or death (1). Persons living, 
      working, or traveling in areas where Coccidioides is endemic can inhale fungal 
      spores; workers who are performing soil-disturbing activities are particularly at 
      risk. CDPH previously investigated one outbreak among solar farm construction 
      workers that started in 2011 and made recommendations for reducing risk for 
      infection, including worker education, dust suppression, and use of personal 
      protective equipment (2,3). For the current outbreak, the CDPH, in collaboration 
      with Monterey County and San Luis Obispo County public health departments, 
      conducted an investigation that identified nine laboratory-confirmed cases of 
      coccidioidomycosis among 2,410 solar farm employees and calculated a 
      worksite-specific incidence rate that was substantially higher than background 
      county rates, suggesting that illness was work-related. The investigation 
      assessed risk factors for potential occupational exposures to identify methods to 
      prevent further workplace illness.
FAU - Laws, Rebecca L
AU  - Laws RL
FAU - Cooksey, Gail Sondermeyer
AU  - Cooksey GS
FAU - Jain, Seema
AU  - Jain S
FAU - Wilken, Jason
AU  - Wilken J
FAU - McNary, Jennifer
AU  - McNary J
FAU - Moreno, Edward
AU  - Moreno E
FAU - Michie, Kristy
AU  - Michie K
FAU - Mulkerin, Christy
AU  - Mulkerin C
FAU - McDowell, Ann
AU  - McDowell A
FAU - Vugia, Duc
AU  - Vugia D
FAU - Materna, Barbara
AU  - Materna B
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20180824
PL  - United States
TA  - MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
JT  - MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report
JID - 7802429
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - California/epidemiology
MH  - Coccidioides/isolation & purification
MH  - Coccidioidomycosis/diagnosis/*epidemiology/prevention & control
MH  - *Construction Industry
MH  - *Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Occupational Diseases/diagnosis/*epidemiology/prevention & control
MH  - Occupational Exposure/*adverse effects/prevention & control
MH  - Public Health Practice
MH  - Risk Factors
MH  - Solar Energy
PMC - PMC6107319
COIS- All authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE form for disclosure of 
      potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were 
      disclosed.
EDAT- 2018/08/24 06:00
MHDA- 2018/08/25 06:00
PMCR- 2018/08/24
CRDT- 2018/08/24 06:00
PHST- 2018/08/24 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2018/08/24 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2018/08/25 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2018/08/24 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - mm6733a4 [pii]
AID - 10.15585/mmwr.mm6733a4 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018 Aug 24;67(33):931-934. doi: 
      10.15585/mmwr.mm6733a4.