Kabamba Ngombe L, Nlandu Ngatu R, Nyembo Mukena C, Kabyla Ilunga B, Wembonyama Okitotsho S, Kakoma Sakatolo J B, Luboya Numbi O, Danuser B
Université de Kamina, 4748 Kamina, RD Congo, ISTM-Lubumbashi, RD Congo.
Department of Public Health, School of Medecine and Graduate School of Public Health, International University of Health and Welfare (IUHW), Chiba & Tokyo, Japon.
Med Sante Trop. 2018 Nov 1;28(4):395-398. doi: 10.1684/mst.2018.0812.
Silicosis is one of the most prevalent occupational lung diseases and a public health problem throughout the world. Underground miners of copper and cobalt are exposed to the dust of these minerals and thus to the risk of developing silicosis. The objective of this report was to describe a series of silicosis cases in miners exposed to mineral dusts at a mining company operating since the colonial era in Lubumbashi, Katanga province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This descriptive retrospective study reviewed records at the occupational safety and health department of the mining company mentioned above and included 2500 underground miners who worked there between 1970 and 1995; it collected and analyzed their medical records. Chest radiographs of silicosis patients were classified according to the ILO International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconiosis. All miners were males (mean age: 48.5 ±12.5), had low literacy levels, and used no protective device (i.e., mask) against dust. Their mean number of working years in the underground mines was 25.07±7.39 years. Of the 2500 miners, 1.08 % (27/2,500) had developed silicosis. The most common clinical manifestations were dyspnea and cough, and the most prevalent radiologic features large opacities (92.59 %), small opacities (96.27 %), and pleural thickening (25.92 %). The fatality rate was 100 %. This study revealed the absence of safety measures among Congolese underground miners from Lubumbashi, which might have contributed to the development of silicosis in some of them. It is thus necessary to implement occupational safety measures to reduce their risk of silicosis.
矽肺病是最常见的职业性肺病之一，也是一个全球性的公共卫生问题。铜钴矿地下矿工接触这些矿物的粉尘，因此有患矽肺病的风险。本报告的目的是描述刚果民主共和国加丹加省卢本巴希一家自殖民时代起运营的矿业公司中，接触矿物粉尘的矿工中的一系列矽肺病病例。这项描述性回顾性研究查阅了上述矿业公司职业安全与健康部门的记录，纳入了1970年至1995年期间在该公司工作的2500名地下矿工；收集并分析了他们的病历。矽肺病患者的胸部X光片根据国际劳工组织尘肺病X光片国际分类标准进行分类。所有矿工均为男性（平均年龄：48.5±12.5岁），识字水平低，且未使用任何防尘设备（即口罩）。他们在地下矿井的平均工作年限为25.07±7.39年。在这2500名矿工中，1.08%（27/2500）已患上矽肺病。最常见的临床表现是呼吸困难和咳嗽，最普遍的放射学特征是大阴影（92.59%）、小阴影（96.27%）和胸膜增厚（25.92%）。死亡率为100%。这项研究表明，来自卢本巴希的刚果地下矿工缺乏安全措施，这可能是其中一些人患上矽肺病的原因。因此，有必要实施职业安全措施以降低他们患矽肺病的风险。
