Haselow D T, Brown E, Tracy J K, Magnien R, Grattan L M, Morris J G, Oldach D W
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2001 Aug 24;63(8):553-64. doi: 10.1080/152873901316857734.
An outbreak of illness with flulike symptoms among state workers responding to a Pfiesteria bloom that resulted in fish death and distress on the Chicamacomico River on Maryland's Eastern Shore was investigated. Using case-control methodology, seven workers present at the Chicamacomico were compared to seven occupationally matched controls not present. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their exposures to water and their symptom histories and were assessed with a standard neuropsychological test battery. Three months later, the same questionnaires and neuropsychological tests were repeated. Three of the seven exposed workers cited minimal direct contact with water and four cited none. During the event, four developed burning eyes or nares and six developed a headache or sore throat. Six developed crampy abdominal pain, nausea, or diarrhea within 4 h of their exposure. In contrast, the only aforementioned symptom reported by controls was headache in two individuals. Acute and follow-up neuropsychological tests showed no consistent pattern of deficiency among the exposed. In conclusion, a flulike clinical illness was observed following exposure to a Pfiesteria-related fish kill, possibly as a result of inhalation of toxic aerosols.
对马里兰州东海岸奇卡梅科米科河上因费氏藻大量繁殖导致鱼类死亡和痛苦的事件做出反应的州工作人员中出现的类似流感症状的疾病爆发进行了调查。采用病例对照方法，将在奇卡梅科米科出现的7名工作人员与7名未出现的职业匹配对照进行比较。参与者填写了问卷，评估他们与水的接触情况和症状史，并接受了标准的神经心理学测试组评估。三个月后，重复相同的问卷和神经心理学测试。7名接触者中有3人表示与水的直接接触极少，4人表示没有接触。事件期间，4人出现眼睛或鼻孔灼痛，6人出现头痛或喉咙痛。6人在接触后4小时内出现痉挛性腹痛、恶心或腹泻。相比之下，对照组报告的唯一上述症状是2人头痛。急性和随访神经心理学测试显示，接触者中没有一致的缺陷模式。总之，在接触与费氏藻相关的鱼类死亡事件后观察到类似流感的临床疾病，可能是吸入有毒气溶胶的结果。
