Farmer's Lung in Maryland

Case Studies1 April 1966Farmer's Lung in MarylandClinical, Microbiological, and Immunological StudiesJOSEPH E. JOHNSON III, M.D.JOSEPH E. JOHNSON III, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-64-4-860 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptFarmer's lung is an occupational disease of agricultural workers who are exposed to moldy forage (principally hay and silage). Clinically, it is characterized by dyspnea, cough, and fever, the development of a granulomatous interstitial pneumonitis, and decreased pulmonary diffusing capacity (1, 2). Recent studies in Great Britain (3) and in Wisconsin (4, 5) have indicated that the principal etiologic agent may be an antigen derived from one or more thermophilic actinomycetes, and the evidence suggests that the disease is a hypersensitivity reaction to inhalation of the antigen rather than an infection. Epidemiologic studies indicate that farmer's lung is prevalent in...References1. DICKIERANKIN HAJ: Farmer's lung. An acute granulomatous interstitial pneumonitis occurring in agricultural workers. JAMA 167: 1069, 1958. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. RANKINJAESCHKECALLIESDICKIE JWHQCHA: Farmer's lung: physiopathologic features of the acute interstitial granulomatous pneumonitis of agricultural workers. Ann. Intern. Med. 57: 606, 1962. LinkGoogle Scholar3. PEPYSJENKINSFESTENSTEINGREGORYLACEYSKINNER JPAGNPHMEFA: Farmer's lung. Thermophilic actinomycetes as a source of "farmer's lung hay" antigen. Lancet 2: 607, 1963. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. 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JOHNSONIII, M.D.Affiliations: Baltimore, MarylandFrom the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Md.This work was supported in part by grants ZTI AI 9 and AI 05780 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.Requests for reprints should be addressed to Joseph E. Johnson, III, M.D., Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital601 N. Broadway, Baltimore, Md. 21205. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byPneumokoniosen durch Inhalation organischer StäubeFarmer's lung following inhalation of Aspergillus flavus growing in mouldy corn 1 April 1966Volume 64, Issue 4Page: 860-872KeywordsAllergy and immunologyAntigensDyspneaHospital medicineHypersensitivityInfectious diseasesInhalationInterstitial lung diseasesLungsPneumonitis ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 April 1966 PDF downloadLoading ...