[sci.med] HICN224 News Part 2/2

ATW1H%ASUACAD.BITNET@oac.ucla.edu (Dr David Dodell) (06/13/89)

--- begin part 2 of 2 cut here ---
Volume  2, Number 24                                            June 12, 1989

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                      Center for Disease Control Reports
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                     Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
                            Thursday  June 1, 1989

                                Current Trends
   Coordinated Community Programs for HIV Prevention among Intravenous-Drug
                      Users -- California, Massachusetts

    This report describes two coordinated communitywide programs that  provide
education  for intravenous-drug users (IVDUs) and their sex partners to reduce
the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).Sacramento, California
    In 1985, the University of California, Davis (UCD),  detected HIV antibody
in  less  than  1  (0.6%)  of  178  IVDUs  in  two  drug-treatment programs in
Sacramento (S. Jain, UCD, personal communication, October 1988). Subsequently,
UCD collaborated with  the  Sacramento  AIDS  Foundation,  Sacramento's  drug-
treatment  programs,  the  Sacramento County health and sheriff's departments,
and the Sacramento Police Department to form a task force to slow  the  spread
of  HIV  among  IVDUs in the community.  An acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS) education,  prevention,  and testing (EPT) program was developed in the
spring of 1987 for the estimated 8000 or more IVDUs in the area (1) and funded
by the State of California and Sacramento County.
    The  EPT  program  consists  of individual counseling of IVDUs about their
risk for HIV infection and AIDS and about practical methods to avoid  becoming
infected,  including stopping drug injections,  "safer shooting" for those who
would not desist,  and "safer sex." After informed consent is  obtained,  each
IVDU   is   given   a  standardized,   questionnaire-guided  interview  and  a
confidential HIV-antibody test.  In a  second  counseling  session,  HIV  test
results  are  given  in  private to each IVDU,  and knowledge of HIV-infection
risk-reduction techniques  is  reassessed.  IVDUs  are  recruited  from  drug-
treatment programs,  major public hospitals,  correctional facilities, and the
county counseling and testing  site.  Seronegative  IVDUs  are  encouraged  to
return for follow-up HIV testing and interview 4 months after initial testing.
IVDUs are paid for follow-up HIV-antibody tests.
    Although  most  participating  IVDUs  have  been clients of drug-treatment
programs, the EPT program recently has been offered to IVDUs receiving medical
care at the UCD Medical Center (UCDMC), the primary source of medical care for
IVDUs in the county.  Serologic testing has been conducted in city and  county
correctional  facilities,  but  the  entire  EPT  program  has  not  yet  been
implemented in these sites.
    Overall,  42% of IVDUs offered the EPT program in  drug-treatment  centers
have  participated:  235  (24%) of 970 in the outpatient methadone program and
365 (80%) of 459 in drug-free programs (Table 1).  Of the 701 IVDUs  recruited
at  drug-treatment programs and the medical-care facilities,  14 (2%) have HIV
antibody (Table 1).  Of those eligible for retesting after an initial negative
test, 116 (24%) of 490 returned to be retested, and none have seroconverted.
    Self-reported  high-risk drug use has decreased since the beginning of the
program. Of 720 IVDUs recruited in 1988, 295 (41%) report that either they did
not share or they "usually" or "always" disinfected their  paraphernalia  with
an  effective  disinfectant  ("safer shooting"),  compared with 19 (23%) of 83
IVDUs recruited in 1986.  Among IVDUs returning for retesting,  44 (57%) of 77
of   those   still   injecting   drugs   reported   using   "safer   shooting"
techniques.Worcester, Massachusetts

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    The Worcester AIDS Consortium was established in spring  1987  to  provide
comprehensive,  coordinated  communitywide  AIDS  education and risk-reduction
efforts for IVDUs and their sex partners.  The Consortium includes  the  local
health  and  school departments,  drug-treatment program,  neighborhood health
centers, community agencies, AIDS Project Worcester, jail,  and the University
of  Massachusetts.  This  program,  which  is  funded  by  the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, the National Institute on Drug Abuse,  and CDC and administered
through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, is coordinated with the
Worcester Department of Public Health hepatitis B prevention program (2).
    The  Consortium  activities include 1) educational programs in schools and
the community and 2) educational/voluntary HIV-antibody testing  programs  for
IVDUs and their sex partners offered at health-care facilities, drug-treatment
programs, and the local correctional facility (3-6).
    An  estimated  3000-4000  IVDUs  reside  in  metropolitan Worcester (total
population, 175,000).  The drug rehabilitation program educates IVDUs in drug-
treatment  programs  and  provides interventions to reduce transmission of HIV
among IVDUs not in treatment,  including distribution of bleach to clean  drug
paraphernalia   and  expedited  admission  of  seropositive  addicts  to  drug
treatment.
    The approximately 600 inmates of the Worcester County House of Corrections
are  offered  weekly  educational  sessions,   voluntary  individual  HIV/AIDS
counseling,  and  confidential  HIV testing,  with follow-up support available
through the advocacy services of AIDS Project Worcester.
    Free voluntary pre- and post-test counseling and HIV-antibody testing have
been incorporated into the routine activities of all  drug-treatment  programs
of the rehabilitation program;  the two major community health centers serving
indigent,  disadvantaged minority populations;  the  Worcester  Department  of
Public Health Hepatitis B/ HIV Clinic; and the Worcester City Hospital.
    A  standardized  interview is used at all sites to obtain demographic data
and information on the drug use and sexual behaviors of participants.
    As  of  July  31,  1988,  1081  persons  had  participated  in  individual
interviews and counseling sessions,  including approximately 90% of clients in
drug-treatment programs,  85% of  persons  referred  for  HIV  counseling  and
testing to clinics, and 50% of inmates who attended group educational sessions
(Table  2).  Participants  were predominantly male (76%) and white (69%);  19%
were Hispanic and 9%, black;  29% were 17-24 years of age,  49%,  25-34 years,
and 22%, greater than or equal to 35 years.
    Recent  needle  use  was  reported  by  263  (76%)  of 348 clients in drug
treatment and 175 (38%) of 459 jail inmates*,  compared with 38 (14%)  of  274
clinic  patients interviewed (4).  One hundred fifty-eight (58%) of 274 clinic
patients and 173 (38%) of 459 jail inmates interviewed reported no needle  use
and no sexual contact with needle users at any time.
    Among the reported recent needle users,  122 (70%) of 175 of jail inmates,
28 (74%) of 38 of clinic patients, and 157 (60%) of 263 current drug-treatment
clients reported they had never been in a drug-treatment program. Among recent
needle users,  144 (48%) of 301 in drug-treatment programs and medical clinics
had  previously  been in jail,  in contrast to 144 (82%) of 175 prisoners.  In
addition,  365 (77%) of the 476 recent needle users reported recent sharing of
needles;  37%  had shared drug injection equipment in a "shooting gallery" and
8% had shared drug injection equipment in New York City.
    Of  the  792  (73%)  persons  for  whom  HIV-antibody  test  results  were
available,   71  (9%)  were  seropositive.   Seropositivity  prevalences  were
proportionate to reported risk activities:  three (10%) of 31 persons with  no
needle use or sexual contact with IVDUs; two (5%) of 42 former sex partners of
IVDUs;  two  (4%) of 52 recent sex partners of IVDUs;  nine (11%) of 81 former

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needle users; and 55 (18%) of 304 recent needle users.
    HIV seropositivity in recent needle users was higher among  Hispanics  (23
(36%) of 64) and blacks (nine (35%) of 26) than among whites (22 (12%) of 183)
(p less than 0.001).  HIV seropositivity among recent needle users also varied
by site of recruitment:  eight (10%) positive  of  80  in  the  drug-treatment
programs,  36  (21%)  of 169 in jail,  and 11 (30%) of 37 in clinics (p=0.02).
However,  because the proportion of all those interviewed who  agreed  to  HIV
testing  varied  from  119  (34%) of 348 in the drug-treatment programs to 434
(95%) of 459 at the jail,  the overall HIV  seropositivity  prevalences  among
persons in these institutions are unknown.
    Among  recent  needle  users,   there  was  no  statistically  significant
association between HIV seropositivity and age, sex, marital status,  previous
drug  treatment,  and  previous incarceration (5,6).  Of the reported drug-use
behaviors among recent needle users,  only sharing drug injection equipment in
a  "shooting  gallery"  was  associated with HIV seropositivity (27% vs.  15%)
(p=0.009).

Reported by:  N Flynn, MD, S Jain, MBBS,  A Sweha,  MBBCh,  V Bailey,  MSC,  N
Nassar, MBBCh, B Siegel, MD, N Levy, MD, S Enders, Univ of California at Davis
Medical Center; G Acuna, PhD, Sacramento AIDS Foundation; P Hom, MD, B Hinton,
MD,  D  Webb,  MA,  Sacramento County Health Dept;  D Ding,  Bi-Valley Medical
Clinic, Sacramento and the Sacramento AIDS-IV Drug Abuse Task Force. B Koblin,
PhD, J McCusker, MD, Div of Public Health, Univ of Massachusetts,  Amherst;  J
Sullivan,  MD,  S  Noone,  Dept  of Pediatrics,  Univ of Massachusetts Medical
School, Worcester;  B Lewis,  EdD,  Spectrum House,  Inc;  S Sereti,  F Birch,
Worcester Dept of Public Health. Office of the Director, Center for Prevention
Svcs, CDC.

Editorial Note:  In 1988,  30% of U.S.  adults with AIDS reported only IV-drug
use (24%) or both IV-drug use and male homosexual/bisexual  behavior  (6%)  as
risk factors.  This represents an increase from 25% in previous years (in part
due to revision of the AIDS case definition in 1987 (7)).  In addition, 55% of
AIDS  cases  in  the  heterosexual-contact  exposure  category  in  1988  were
attributed to HIV infections acquired from IVDUs.
    The programs in Sacramento and Worcester represent coordinated efforts  to
educate  IVDUs  about  HIV/AIDS  and  to  change  their  sexual  and  drug-use
behaviors.  These programs have coordinated the HIV prevention  activities  of
universities, health departments, correctional facilities, police departments,
health-care institutions, and drug-treatment programs. Because only 10%-15% of
IVDUs  are in drug-treatment programs at any time,  HIV counseling and testing
of IVDUs  in  health-care  facilities  and  in  correctional/criminal  justice
facilities are also important. Data from Sacramento and Worcester suggest that
different  populations  of  IVDUs  were  reached  at  each  of  the  different
institutions.
    The Worcester program illustrates the potential impact of  HIV  prevention
programs  on IVDUs in correctional institutions.  More than half of the recent
needle users recruited at medical  clinics  and  drug-treatment  programs  had
previously been in jail.  In addition, among the recent needle users recruited
in jail, 83% had been in jail at least once before the current incarceration.
    Although  street/community  outreach  teams  are  important  elements   of
comprehensive  HIV prevention programs for IVDUs,  such teams were not part of
the initial Worcester and Sacramento programs.  A street outreach program will
be added in Sacramento.
    The  changes  in  the  behaviors  reported  by  IVDUs participating in the
educational programs were modest.  In  Sacramento,  the  proportion  of  IVDUs

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reporting  "safer  shooting"  drug-use practices increased from 23% in 1986 to
41% in 1988 (8).  Among IVDUs  returning  for  follow-up  interviews  and  HIV
testing,  57% of those using drugs reported using "safer shooting" techniques.
While these results suggest that some IVDUs will adopt lower  risk  behaviors,
many of the IVDUs interviewed did not report adoption of safer behaviors.
    Programs  to  prevent  HIV transmission among IVDUs and their sex partners
should be carefully evaluated with follow-up surveys of self-reports  of  drug
use and sexual behaviors;  admission to and success of drug-treatment; follow-
up serologic testing of IVDUs who are seronegative;  and monitoring  of  other
infections (e.g., hepatitis B virus, bacterial endocarditis).
    Among  IVDUs,  seroprevalence  of HIV antibody is highest in New York City
and Puerto Rico (45%-60%),  high in the Northeast,  and low in the Central and
Southwestern  United States (9,10).  The high seropositivity levels in the New
York City area and Puerto Rico indicate the potential for  rapid  transmission
of  HIV  to  uninfected  IVDUs,  unless effective HIV education and prevention
programs are  developed  for  IVDUs  in  areas  of  the  United  States  where
seroprevalence is presently low.
    Worcester  and  Sacramento are medium-sized cities (populations of 175,000
and 330,000,  respectively) with an estimated  3000-4000  and  at  least  8000
IVDUs,  respectively.  Similar efforts in larger cities with larger numbers of
IVDUs may be more difficult to achieve.  Nevertheless,  attempts to coordinate
efforts   through   integration   of  educational  activities  in  health-care
institutions,  correctional/criminal  justice  facilities,  health  department
clinics,  and  drug-treatment  programs  (combined  with  street outreach) are
important in reducing the risk of transmission of HIV among  IVDUs  and  their
sex partners.

References

 1.  Flynn N, Bailey V, Jain S, et al.  Prevention of HIV infection in IV drug
users  (IVDU)  in  an  area  of  low  prevalence:   a  comprehensive  approach
(Abstract).  IV International Conference on AIDS.  Book 2. Stockholm, June 12-
16, 1988:391.
 2. CDC. Delta hepatitis--Massachusetts. MMWR 1984;33:493-4.
 3. Noone S, Birch F, Sereti S, et al. A comprehensive prison program for AIDS
risk reduction (Abstract).  IV  International  Conference  on  AIDS.  Book  1.
Stockholm, June 12-16, 1988:313.
 4. McCusker J, Koblin B, Lewis B, Sullivan J, Birch F, Hagan H.  Differential
characteristics  of  IVDU populations by enrollment site in a single community
(Abstract). IV International Conference on AIDS.  Book 2.  Stockholm, June 12-
16, 1988:197.
 5.  Koblin B,  McCusker J,  Lewis B,  Sullivan J,  Birch F,  Hagan H.  Racial
differences in HIV infection in IVDUs (Abstract).  IV International Conference
on AIDS. Book 2. Stockholm, June 12-16, 1988:196.
 6.   Lewis  B,   Sullivan  J,  McCusker  J,  Birch  F,  Koblin  B,  Hagan  H.
Comprehensive surveillance of HIV  among  IVDUs  in  Worcester,  Massachusetts
(Abstract).  IV International Conference on AIDS. Book 2.  Stockholm, June 12-
16, 1988:197.
 7. CDC. Update: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome--United States, 1981-1988.
MMWR 1989;38:229-36.
 8.  Jain S,  Flynn N,  Bailey V,  et al.  IV drug users  and  AIDS:  changing
attitudes and behavior (Abstract).  IV International Conference on AIDS.  Book
1. Stockholm, June 12-16, 1988:449.
 9. CDC. Human immunodeficiency virus infection in the United States: a review
of current knowledge. MMWR 1987;36(suppl S-6):40.

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10.  Hahn RA, Onorato IM, Jones TS,  Dougherty J.  Prevalence of HIV infection
among intravenous drug users in the United States. JAMA 1989;261:2677-84.

*Since drug-treatment clients are interviewed on entry into treatment,  recent
needle use for them would be before admission  to  drug  treatment.  For  jail
inmates, recent needle use refers to the period before incarceration.

                        Epidemiologic Notes and Reports

      Lead Poisoning Following Ingestion of Homemade Beverage Stored in a
                            Ceramic Jug -- New York

    In the summer of 1987,  seven persons living in  Westchester  County,  New
York, developed lead poisoning after ingesting a homemade beverage stored in a
ceramic bean jug.  The six adults and one child were relatives and lived at or
frequently visited the home where the jug was kept.
    The 140-ounce brown ceramic jug had been obtained in Mexico and  is  of  a
type commonly used to cook beans.  The first person to experience illness used
the jug to store a beverage he prepared  frequently  from  sugar,  water,  and
mara,  a  grain imported from Colombia.  After the beverage fermented,  family
members consumed it several times daily throughout the summer.
    In  October  1987,  the  first  patient--a  67-year-old  man--consulted  a
physician  because  of severe abdominal pain,  fatigue,  and weight loss.  The
physician initially  suspected  gastric  carcinoma.  However,  because  severe
anemia  (hemoglobin  8  gm) and red blood cells with basophilic stippling were
detected,  a blood-lead level was obtained.  Both the blood-lead level (70  ug
divided  by  L)  and the erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EP) (382 ug divided by L)
were markedly elevated.  He received chelation treatment for lead during a  2-
week hospitalization.
    After  the initial case was diagnosed,  a public health sanitarian visited
the home to search for the source of lead.  Interviews and  a  search  of  the
premises  identified the bean jug,  which was severely corroded on the inside.
Analysis of the jug by  the  New  York  State  Department  of  Health  (NYSDH)
detected  a  lead content of 730 ppm,  100 times the normal value for a hollow
vessel of this size.
    Other household members were tested  for  lead.  Six  persons,  aged  8-90
years,  had elevated blood-lead levels (range:  35-70 ug divided by L).  An 8-
year-old child had a lead level of 35 ug divided by L and  an  EP  of  152  ug
divided  by  L  (CDC  risk  classification  III (high risk)).* One of the five
adults was also hospitalized.
    Investigation by NYSDH revealed other earthenware with high lead  contents
in shops and bodegas in this town. The Westchester County Department of Health
distributed  bilingual  fliers  in ethnic communities in the county warning of
the possible hazards from the use of ceramic ware.
    No additional cases have been identified.  All patients have been followed
by their personal physician, and their blood values have returned to normal.

Reported  by:  KA Raciti,  MD,  Child Health Svcs,  G Haloukas,  Bur of Public
Health Protection, AS Curran, MD, G Argentina, R Morrisey,  Westchester County
Dept  of  Health;  B  Friedman,  MD;  P  Parsons,  PhD,  DL Morse,  MD,  State
Epidemiologist,  New York State Dept of Health.  Div of Environmental  Hazards
and Health Effects, Center for Environmental Health and Injury Control, CDC.

Editorial Note:  Because of industrialization, lead is ubiquitous in the human

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environment.  Common  sources  of  lead  exposure  include  lead-based  paints
(present  on the interior surfaces of an estimated 30-40 million U.S.  homes),
airborne lead from combusted lead additives in  gasolines  or  from  factories
using lead,  occupations such as the production or repair of lead-acid storage
batteries  or  automobile  radiators,   and  a  variety  of  ethnic  remedies,
particularly  those  used  by Asian and South American groups (1-3).  Although
lead-glazed pottery is not a widespread source of lead,  it can release  large
amounts  of  lead  into  food and drink (1,4,5).  Lead-glazed pottery has been
responsible for outbreaks of serious poisoning; in several episodes similar to
this one,  imported pottery has  been  implicated  (1,5).  Homemade  or  craft
pottery  and  porcelain-glazed  vessels  can release large quantities of lead,
particularly if the glaze is chipped, cracked,  or improperly applied.  If the
vessels  are  repeatedly  washed,  the  glaze  may  deteriorate,  and  pottery
previously tested as safe can become unsafe.  Acidic foods, beverages, or even
water can leach lead from the containers.
    Excessive  absorption of lead is one of the most prevalent and preventable
childhood environmental health problems in the United States (1). Once thought
to be a problem confined to poor urban children,  lead poisoning is now  known
to  involve  children  in  all socioeconomic strata (1,6).  Although the toxic
properties of lead affect all age groups,  attention is generally  focused  on
the  serious  consequences of elevated lead exposure on the developing central
nervous system of children less than 6 years of  age  (1,6-8).  The  level  in
children at which further diagnostic follow-up is recommended is 25 ug divided
by  L of lead in whole blood;  however,  recent studies have shown that blood-
lead levels as low as 10 ug  divided  by  L  may  adversely  affect  childhood
neurobehavioral function and development (1,7).

References

1.  CDC.  Preventing  lead  poisoning  in  young children:  a statement by the
Centers for Disease Control,  January 1985.  Atlanta:  US Department of Health
and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1985:5-7; DHHS publication no.  99-
2230.

2.  Mahaffey KR.  Sources of lead in the urban environment (Editorial).  Am  J
Public Health 1983;73:1357-8.

3.  Bose A, Vashistha K, O'Loughlin BJ.  Azarcon por empacho--another cause of
lead toxicity. Pediatrics 1983;72:106-8.

4.  Molina-Ballesteros G, Zuniga-Charles MA,  Cardenas Ortega A,  et al.  Lead
concentrations  in  the blood of children from pottery-making families exposed
to lead salts in a Mexican village. Bull Pan Am Health Organ 1983;17:35-41.

5. Klein M, Namer R, Harpur E, Corbin R. Earthenware containers as a source of
fatal lead poisoning:  case study and public health considerations.  N Engl  J
Med 1970;283:669-72.

6.  Thatcher RW,  Lester ML,  McAlaster R, Horst R, Ignasias SW.  Intelligence
and lead toxins in rural children. J Learn Disabil 1983;16:355-9.

7.  Needleman HL.  The neurobehavioral consequences of low  lead  exposure  in
childhood. Neurobehav Toxicol Teratol 1982;4:729-32.

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8.  Chisolm  JJ Jr.  The continuing hazard of lead exposure and its effects in
children. Neurotoxicology 1984;5:23-42.

 *CDC defines  an  elevated  blood-lead  level  in  children  as  a  confirmed
concentration of lead in whole blood of greater than or equal to 25 ug divided
by L;  lead toxicity is defined by an elevated blood level with an EP in whole
blood of greater than or equal to 35 ug divided by L (1).

Current Trends Exposure Trends in Silica Flour Plants -- United States,  1975-
                                     1986

    A  1979  National  Institute  for  Occupational  Safety and Health (NIOSH)
investigation of excessive free silica exposures identified 23 cases of  acute
silicosis in employees at two Illinois silica flour plants (1).  This led to a
NIOSH  report  (2)  emphasizing  the  hazards of silica exposure in the silica
flour industry.  NIOSH subsequently issued a description  (3)  of  engineering
controls  designed  to  reduce exposures,  and has followed this in 1988 by an
analysis of the exposure levels and exposure trends in all U.S.  silica  flour
producers for 1975-1986.
    The  data  used  for  the  analysis  were collected by the Mine Safety and
Health Administration (MSHA).  MSHA measured respirable quartz exposures at 28
plants  while  conducting  routine  inspections for compliance with safety and
health regulations promulgated under the 1977 Federal Mine Safety  and  Health
Act.  Quartz  is  a  form  of  crystalline  free  silica,  the principal agent
responsible for silicosis.  The dust samples  were  collected  using  personal
breathing-zone air samplers. The quartz content in each respirable dust sample
is used in computing the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for that sample (4).
For  samples with a high percentage of respirable quartz,  as is typically the
case in the silica flour industry,  this computation results in  an  effective
PEL of approximately 0.1 mg/m3.
    Free silica levels in 52% of the samples tested exceeded the corresponding
MSHA PEL.  Although the percentage of samples exceeding the PEL decreased from
1982 to 1986, 32% still exceeded the PEL in 1986 (Figure 1). The proportion of
the samples exceeding twice the PEL followed a similar  pattern;  the  highest
concentration recorded in 1986 was 11.3 times the PEL.
    At  one  of  the  two Illinois plants investigated by NIOSH (1,5),  14% of
environmental samples exceeded the PEL in 1984, 29% in 1985,  and 30% in 1986.
Overexposures in the other plant (1,6) were 60% in 1984,  50% in 1985, and 30%
in 1986.

Reported by:  Div of  Respiratory  Disease  Studies,  National  Institute  for
Occupational Safety and Health, CDC.

Editorial Note: Silicosis is a debilitating fibrotic disease of the lungs that
is  caused  by  inhalation,  retention,  and  pulmonary reaction to respirable
particles of crystalline free silica.  Chronic silicosis is pathologically and
radiologically  characterized  by the silicotic nodule.  In early stages,  the
nodules remain isolated, but as the disease progresses the nodules coalesce to
form mass lesions,  or progressive massive  fibrosis.  Acute  and  accelerated
forms  of  silicosis  may  develop after shorter and more intense exposures to
crystalline silica.  Silicosis may be  associated  with  pulmonary  infections
(particularly   tuberculosis),   restrictive   ventilatory   impairment,   cor
pulmonale, respiratory failure, and premature death.

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    Despite long recognition of the  cause  of  silicosis  and  the  means  to
prevent it, this disease remains an important source of occupational morbidity
and mortality.  Reliable morbidity statistics are not available, but NIOSH has
used death certificate  data  to  estimate  that  2152  silicosis-attributable
deaths  among  men  greater  than  or equal to 25 years of age occurred in the
United States during 1975-1986 (7,8).
    "Silica flour" is produced by the drying and milling of mined  quartz  and
consists  of fine particles,  a large percentage of which are respirable.  The
very small particle size makes this one of the most hazardous forms of silica.
Despite some exposure reduction since 1982,  the  continued  overexposures  to
respirable  free  silica  in silica flour plants indicate a continued need for
control measures in the silica flour industry.  When compared with  all  metal
and  nonmetal mines regulated by MSHA,  silica flour plants had a frequency of
overexposure to free silica more than three times that of the other facilities
during 1975-1986.
    The data on which these analyses were based have limitations.  First,  the
data  do not represent a randomized or systematic sample of workers' exposures
and are not subject to rigorous statistical treatment.  Second,  the data  set
does  not  provide  information  on the level of plant activity at the time of
sampling.  Third,  exposures to individual workers may actually be  less  than
those  reported  here  because  of  the  use  of  respirators.  Despite  these
limitations,  the data confirm the continued existence of overexposure to free
silica at levels associated with adverse health effects.
    Prevention  of  silicosis  was targeted as a 1990 health objective for the
United States (9).  NIOSH has recommended  a  10-hour,  time-weighted  average
level  of  0.05 mg/m3 (free silica) as the level required to prevent silicosis
(10). Silicosis is reportable under the Sentinel Event Notification System for
Occupational Risks (SENSOR) program.  As a cooperative program  between  NIOSH
and  10  state  health  departments*,  SENSOR is designed to improve state and
local capacity to conduct surveillance  of  selected  occupational  illnesses.
Unless  efforts  to  achieve  a  work environment within the NIOSH-recommended
level are increased,  the 1990 objective will not be met,  and respirable free
silica  exposures  will  continue  to constitute a health hazard in the silica
flour industry.

References

 1. CDC. Silicosis--Illinois. MMWR 1980;29:205-6.

 2.  CDC.  Silica flour: silicosis (crystalline silica).  Cincinnati, Ohio: US
Department  of Health and Human Services,  Public Health Service,  1981;  DHHS
document no. (NIOSH)81-137. (NIOSH current intelligence bulletin no. 36).

 3.  CDC.  Health hazard control technology assessment  of  the  silica  flour
milling  industry.  Cincinnati,  Ohio:  US  Department  of  Health  and  Human
Services, Public Health Service, 1984; DHHS publication no.  (NIOSH)84-110.

 4.  Office of the Federal Register.  Code  of  federal  regulations:  mineral
resources--exposure limits for airborne contaminants.  Washington, DC:  Office
of the Federal Register,  National Archives and Records Administration,  1988.
(30 CFR ***56.5001).

 5.  CDC.  Hazard  evaluation and technical assistance report no.  79-104-107.
Cincinnati,  Ohio:  US Department of Health and Human Services,  Public Health
Service, 1979.

Health InfoCom Network News                                             Page 22
Volume  2, Number 24                                            June 12, 1989

 6.  CDC.  Hazard  evaluation and technical assistance report no.  79-103-108.
Cincinnati,  Ohio:  US Department of Health and Human Services,  Public Health
Service, 1979.

 7.  CDC. Health, United States, 1986. Hyattsville, Maryland: US Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service,  1987;  DHHS publication no.
(PHS)87-1232.

 8.  CDC. Health, United States, 1988. Hyattsville, Maryland: US Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service,  1989;  DHHS publication no.
(PHS)89-1232.

 9. Public Health Service. Promoting health/preventing disease: objectives for
the nation. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public
Health Service, 1980:41.

10. CDC. Criteria for a recommended standard: occupational exposure to .

Education,  and  Welfare,  Health  Services  and Mental Health Administration,
1974; document no. (NIOSH)75-120.

 *California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey,  New York,  Ohio,
Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin.

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Volume  2, Number 24                                            June 12, 1989

===============================================================================
                                    Columns
===============================================================================

                            CDC CALENDAR OF EVENTS
          (For more information, contact Iris Lansing, 404/639-3243)

June 14-15 Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health; Wash., DC

June 14-16 Society for Epidemiologic Research Conference; Birmingham, AL

June 15-16 National Vaccine Program Advisory Committee; Wash., DC

June 18-22 2nd International Conference  on  Preventive  Cardiology,  and  the
                 Annual  Meeting  of the American Heart Association Council on
                 Epidemiology; Wash., DC

June 19 Environmental Data Base Workshop; San Antonio, TX

June 20-23 4th National Environmental Health Conference; San Antonio, TX

June 26-27 CDC AIDS Prevention Advisory Committee

June  28-July  2  Fourth   International   Interdisciplinary   Conference   on
                 Hypertension in Blacks; Nairobi, Kenya

July 5-28 EIS Course; Atlanta, GA

July  15-18  Annual  National  Association  of County Health Officials (NACHO)
                    Conference; Cincinnati, OH

July 15-20 National Medical Association; Orlando, FL

July 17-19 Public Health Conference on Records and Statistics,  22nd Biennial;
                    Wash., DC

July 23-27 American Association for Clinical Chemistry; Atlanta, GA

July 26-27 Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Tuberculosis; Atlanta, GA

August  6-10  149th  Annual  Meeting  (and  150th Anniversary) of the American
                    Statistical Association -  Joint  Meeting  with  Biometric
                    Society  and Institute of Mathematical Statistics;  Wash.,
                    DC

August 14-17 National Conference on HIV Infection and AIDS  Among  Racial  and
                    Ethnic Populations; Wash., DC

August  20-24  Second  Latin  American  Congress  on  Family Planning;  Rio de
                    Janeiro, Brazil

Aug. 27-Sep. 1 Pan-American Congress on AIDS; Caracas, Venezuela

August  28-30  International  Conference  on  Blood-Borne  Infections  in  the
                    Workplace; Stockholm, Sweden

Health InfoCom Network News                                             Page 24
Volume  2, Number 24                                            June 12, 1989

September   5-8   5th   International   Conference   on  Pharmacoepidemiology;
                    Minneapolis, MN

September 6-8 National Pediatric AIDS Conference, Fifth Annual, & September 8-
9 Followup Workshop; Los Angeles, CA

September 10-15 198th National American Chemical Society Meeting; Dallas, TX

September  l7-20  Interscience  Conference   on   Antimicrobial   Agents   and
                    Chemotherapy (ICAAC); Houston, TX

September  l7-21  First  World  Conference  on Accident and Injury Prevention;
                    Stockholm, Sweden

September 20-22 4th National Conference  on  Chronic  Disease  Prevention  and
                    Control; San Diego, CA

October 4-6 American College of Epidemiology Annual Meeting; Wash., DC

October 11-13 Safety and Occupational Health Study Section Meeting;  Bethesda,
                    MD

October 22-26 APHA 117th Annual Meeting; Chicago, IL

October 30- Diseases of the Chest--Sixteenth World Congress and 55th  November
3 Annual Scientific Assembly; Boston, MA

November 2-3 Mine Health Research Advisory Committee Meeting; Atlanta, GA

November  2-5  National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual
                    Conference; Atlanta, GA

December 10-14 American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene; Honolulu, HI

1990 March 14-18 The Coalition of Hispanic Health & Human Services
                    Organizations (COSSMHO) National  Hispanic  Conference  on
                    Health and Human Services; San Francisco, CA

March  31-  Association  of  State  and  Territorial  Dental Director/ April 4
National Oral Health Conference; San Diego, CA

April 22-27 199th National American Chemical Society Meeting; Boston, MA

April 23-27 39th Annual EIS Conference; Atlanta, GA

May 13-18 American Industrial Hygiene Conference; Orlando, FL

May 20-24 World Conference on Lung Health; Boston, MA

June 19-23 VI International Conference on Acquired Immunodeficiency  Syndrome;
                    San Francisco, CA

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Volume  2, Number 24                                            June 12, 1989

July  29-  5th  International  Conference  on  Indoor Air Quality and August 3
Climate; Toronto, Canada

August 26-31 200th National American Chemical Society Meeting; Wash., DC

Sep. 30-Oct. 4 APHA Annual Meeting; New York City, NY

November 4-8 American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene; New Orleans, LA

1991 April 14-19 201st National American Chemical Society Meeting; Atlanta, GA

May 12-15 American Lung Association/American Thoracic Society Annual  Meeting;
                  Anaheim, CA

May 19-24 American Industrial Hygiene Conference; Salt Lake City, UT

June 16-21 VII International AIDS Conference; Florence, Italy

November 4-8 American College of Chest Physicians; San Francisco, CA

December 1-5 American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene; Boston, MA

1992 April 5-10 202nd National American Chemical Society Meeting;
                  San Francisco, CA

May  17-20 American Lung Association/American Thoracic Society Annual Meeting;
                  Miami, FL

May 3l-June 5 American Industrial Hygiene Conference; Boston, MA

October 26-30 American College of Chest Physicians; Chicago, IL

November 15-19 American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene; Seattle, WA

1993 November 7-11 American Society of Tropical Medicine &  Hygiene;  Atlanta,
GA

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