Abstract
We report an outbreak of four confirmed cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in individuals occupationally exposed to welding fumes, at a Belfast shipyard (Northern Ireland). All cases were hospitalised. A high-risk sub-group of 679 workers has been targeted for antibiotic prophylaxis and pneumococcal vaccination. Physicians and public health institutions outside Northern Ireland should be alert to individuals presenting with pneumonia or IPD and recent links to the shipyard, to facilitate early assessment and treatment.
MeSH terms
-
Adult
-
Amoxicillin / administration & dosage
-
Antibiotic Prophylaxis / methods
-
Azithromycin / administration & dosage
-
Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control*
-
Humans
-
Industry*
-
Inhalation Exposure / adverse effects*
-
Male
-
Middle Aged
-
Northern Ireland / epidemiology
-
Occupational Exposure / adverse effects*
-
Pneumococcal Vaccines / administration & dosage
-
Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / epidemiology*
-
Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / prevention & control
-
Retrospective Studies
-
Vaccination
-
Welding*
Substances
-
23-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine
-
Pneumococcal Vaccines
-
Amoxicillin
-
Azithromycin