ADVISORY: CDC - Flavorings-Related Lung Disease - CHILDREN: 10 states report outbreak of respiratory illness in kids . . .
CHILDREN: 10 states report outbreak of respiratory illness in kids . . .
Officials in 10 states are reporting cases of respiratory illness, some severe enough to send children to hospitals. In Kansas City, Mo., more than 300 cases of respiratory illnesses were reported last month, according to the state Department of Health and Senior Services. About 15% of the illnesses resulted in children being placed in an intensive care unit, according to a health alert issued Aug. 29. Ten states have contacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for help in investigating enterovirus — Colorado, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky, according to WXIA-TV. Enteroviruses, with symptoms similar to an intense cold, hits its peak in September, according to medical officials. But it is unusual that there have been so many hospitalizations, CNN reports. The number of hospitalizations reported could be "just the tip of the iceberg in terms of severe cases," Mark Pallansch, director of the CDC's Division of Viral Diseases, told CNN. Pallansch said the division is looking into the situation. Cincinnati medical officials admitted a record number of children to a local hospital over the weekend. Although there's been no confirmed cases of the enterovirus at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, officials admitted 540 patients Friday, said Dr. Derek Wheeler, associate chief of staff at the hospital. This topic page provides a resource for findings and recommendations by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to reduce the risk of severe obstructive lung disease (bronchiolitis obliterans) associated with occupational exposures to flavorings. BackgroundIn August 2000, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services requested technical assistance from NIOSH in an investigation of bronchiolitis obliterans in former workers of a microwave popcorn plant in Jasper, Missouri. Bronchiolitis obliterans is a serious lung disease that is irreversible. The Missouri request led to intensive NIOSH research performed in collaboration with the microwave popcorn industry and flavorings manufacturers. The findings from that research provided a basis for a 2004 NIOSH Alert: Preventing Lung Disease in Workers Who Use or Make Flavorings. In addition to the full Alert in English, aSummary Sheet is available in Spanish (en Español). Although much remains unknown regarding the toxicity of flavoring-related chemicals, employers and workers can take steps to address working conditions and work practices that place workers at risk
Flavorings-Related Lung DiseaseMicrowave popcorn plant and flavoring plant workers have developed obstructive lung disease, which can be very severe. In many cases where lung biopsies were done, a type of bronchiolitis called constrictive bronchiolitis obliterans was found. In this disease, the smallest airways in the lung (the bronchioles) become scarred and constricted, blocking the movement of air.
SymptomsThe main respiratory symptoms experienced by workers affected by bronchiolitis obliterans include cough (usually without phlegm), wheezing, and worsening shortness of breath on exertion. The severity of the lung symptoms can range from only a mild cough to severe cough and shortness of breath on exertion. These symptoms typically do not improve when the worker goes home at the end of the workday or on weekends or vacations. Usually these symptoms are gradual in onset and progressive, but severe symptoms can occur suddenly. Some workers may experience fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Before arriving at a final diagnosis, doctors of affected workers initially thought that the symptoms might be due to asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, or smoking.
Popcorn- Potato Chips, school foodservice foods- HAZARD COMMUNICATION GUIDANCE FOR DIACETYL AND FOOD FLAVORINGS CONTAINING DIACETYL
The buttery flavoring used in popcorn and potato chips causes massive breathing problems- Asthma is one, along with difficulty breathing. It has been removed from microwave popcorn in 2008 (Or it should have been) but is it still used in foodservice at schools and in other chips that children eat?https://www.osha.gov/dsg/guidance/diacetyl-guidance.pdf
HAZARD COMMUNICATION GUIDANCE FOR Download PDF on OSHA Diacetyl. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flavorings/ This topic page provides a resource for findings and recommendations by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to reduce the risk of severe obstructive lung disease (bronchiolitis obliterans) associated with occupational exposures to flavorings. In August 2000, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services requested technical assistance from NIOSH in an investigation of bronchiolitis obliterans in former workers of a microwave popcorn plant in Jasper, Missouri. Bronchiolitis obliterans is a serious lung disease that is irreversible. The Missouri request led to intensive NIOSH research performed in collaboration with the microwave popcorn industry and flavorings manufacturers. The findings from that research provided a basis for a 2004 NIOSH Alert: Preventing Lung Disease in Workers Who Use or Make Flavorings. In addition to the full Alert in English, a Summary Sheet is available in Spanish (en Español). Although much remains unknown regarding the toxicity of flavoring-related chemicals, employers and workers can take steps to address working conditions and work practices that place workers at risk. Microwave popcorn plant and flavoring plant workers have developed obstructive lung disease, which can be very severe. In many cases where lung biopsies were done, a type of bronchiolitis called constrictive bronchiolitis obliterans was found. In this disease, the smallest airways in the lung (the bronchioles) become scarred and constricted, blocking the movement of air. The main respiratory symptoms experienced by workers affected by bronchiolitis obliterans include cough (usually without phlegm), wheezing, and worsening shortness of breath on exertion. The severity of the lung symptoms can range from only a mild cough to severe cough and shortness of breath on exertion. These symptoms typically do not improve when the worker goes home at the end of the workday or on weekends or vacations. Usually these symptoms are gradual in onset and progressive, but severe symptoms can occur suddenly. Some workers may experience fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Before arriving at a final diagnosis, doctors of affected workers initially thought that the symptoms might be due to asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, or smoking. Medical testing may reveal several of the following findings: Workers should be promptly referred for further medical evaluation if they have persistent cough; persistent shortness of breath on exertion; frequent or persistent symptoms of eye, nose, throat, or skin irritation; abnormal lung function on spirometry testing; or accelerated decline in lung function. Physicians should advise workers about any suspected or confirmed medical condition that may be caused or aggravated by work exposures, about recommendations for further evaluation and treatment, and specifically about any recommended restriction of the worker’s exposure (including removal from the workplace) or use of personal protective equipment. To date, most cases have shown little or no response to medical treatment. Affected workers generally notice a gradual reduction or cessation of cough years after they are no longer exposed to flavoring vapors, but abnormalities on lung function tests and shortness of breath on exertion persist. Several with very severe disease were placed on lung transplant waiting lists. Workers exposed to flavorings may also experience eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation. In some cases, chemical eye burns have required medical treatment. While most workers with very severe flavoring-related lung disease have shown evidence of bronchiolitis oblliterans, it is possible that some workers exposed to flavoring chemicals may develop new-onset asthma or exacerbation of pre-existing asthma. NIOSH is continuing to evaluate new information pertaining to the risk of bronchiolitis obliterans from occupational exposures to flavorings, in order to determine appropriate further steps to help safeguard workers’ health. We want to hear from workers who have a lung problem they suspect might be related to their work with flavorings. Workers, labor union representatives, and company management at workplaces where workers may be exposed to flavoring-related chemicals can request a NIOSH health hazard evaluation of their facility. We also want to hear from health-care providers who suspect flavorings-induced occupational or nonoccupational bronchiolitis obliterans in a patient. NIOSH can be contacted to inquire about or provide information regarding lung disease that may be related to exposures to flavoring chemicals. Cases should also be reported to local and state public health departments. / http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flavorings/ This topic page provides a resource for findings and recommendations by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to reduce the risk of severe obstructive lung disease (bronchiolitis obliterans) associated with occupational exposures to flavorings. In August 2000, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services requested technical assistance from NIOSH in an investigation of bronchiolitis obliterans in former workers of a microwave popcorn plant in Jasper, Missouri. Bronchiolitis obliterans is a serious lung disease that is irreversible. The Missouri request led to intensive NIOSH research performed in collaboration with the microwave popcorn industry and flavorings manufacturers. The findings from that research provided a basis for a 2004 NIOSH Alert: Preventing Lung Disease in Workers Who Use or Make Flavorings. In addition to the full Alert in English, a Summary Sheet is available in Spanish (en Español). Although much remains unknown regarding the toxicity of flavoring-related chemicals, employers and workers can take steps to address working conditions and work practices that place workers at risk. Microwave popcorn plant and flavoring plant workers have developed obstructive lung disease, which can be very severe. In many cases where lung biopsies were done, a type of bronchiolitis called constrictive bronchiolitis obliterans was found. In this disease, the smallest airways in the lung (the bronchioles) become scarred and constricted, blocking the movement of air. The main respiratory symptoms experienced by workers affected by bronchiolitis obliterans include cough (usually without phlegm), wheezing, and worsening shortness of breath on exertion. The severity of the lung symptoms can range from only a mild cough to severe cough and shortness of breath on exertion. These symptoms typically do not improve when the worker goes home at the end of the workday or on weekends or vacations. Usually these symptoms are gradual in onset and progressive, but severe symptoms can occur suddenly. Some workers may experience fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Before arriving at a final diagnosis, doctors of affected workers initially thought that the symptoms might be due to asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, or smoking. Medical testing may reveal several of the following findings: Workers should be promptly referred for further medical evaluation if they have persistent cough; persistent shortness of breath on exertion; frequent or persistent symptoms of eye, nose, throat, or skin irritation; abnormal lung function on spirometry testing; or accelerated decline in lung function. Physicians should advise workers about any suspected or confirmed medical condition that may be caused or aggravated by work exposures, about recommendations for further evaluation and treatment, and specifically about any recommended restriction of the worker’s exposure (including removal from the workplace) or use of personal protective equipment. To date, most cases have shown little or no response to medical treatment. Affected workers generally notice a gradual reduction or cessation of cough years after they are no longer exposed to flavoring vapors, but abnormalities on lung function tests and shortness of breath on exertion persist. Several with very severe disease were placed on lung transplant waiting lists. Workers exposed to flavorings may also experience eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation. In some cases, chemical eye burns have required medical treatment. While most workers with very severe flavoring-related lung disease have shown evidence of bronchiolitis oblliterans, it is possible that some workers exposed to flavoring chemicals may develop new-onset asthma or exacerbation of pre-existing asthma. NIOSH is continuing to evaluate new information pertaining to the risk of bronchiolitis obliterans from occupational exposures to flavorings, in order to determine appropriate further steps to help safeguard workers’ health. We want to hear from workers who have a lung problem they suspect might be related to their work with flavorings. Workers, labor union representatives, and company management at workplaces where workers may be exposed to flavoring-related chemicals can request a NIOSH health hazard evaluation of their facility. We also want to hear from health-care providers who suspect flavorings-induced occupational or nonoccupational bronchiolitis obliterans in a patient. NIOSH can be contacted to inquire about or provide information regarding lung disease that may be related to exposures to flavoring chemicals. Cases should also be reported to local and state public health departments.
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