NCJ Number
245277
Date Published
January 2014
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This health hazard evaluation report provides the results of an evaluation of Coccidioides exposures and Coccidioidomycosis infections among prison employees.
Abstract
This report presents the results of an evaluation of Coccidioides exposures and Coccidioidomycosis infections among prison employees. The report is part of the Health Hazard Evaluation Program and was produced by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Employers are required to post a copy of this report at or near the workplace(s) of affected employees. The evaluation was conducted at the request of corrections officials following the potential exposure of employees to the fungus Coccidioides at two State prisons in the Central Valley of California. The evaluation found that both prisons are in an area where the fungus naturally occurs; over a 4 1/2-year period, 65 employees at prison A and 38 employees at prison B were found to have confirmed cases of coccidioidomycosis; and the evaluation was not able to confirm whether the exposure occurred at work or outside of work. The report provides information on what employees and employers can do to prevent exposure to the fungus and what can be done should employees be exposed to the fungus in the future. The report also background information on the problem, how individuals can be exposed to the fungus, and how exposure can be diagnosed. Tables, figures, and appendixes