title: Outbreak of invasive pneumococcal disease at a Belfast shipyard in men exposed to welding fumes, Northern Ireland, April-May 2015: preliminary report.
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.
authors.affiliation: UK Field Epidemiology Training Programme, Public Health England, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Irvine
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loughrey
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jessop
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000379:methods; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009660:Northern Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014611:Vaccination; D014896:Welding
chemical_list: C414006:23-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D000658:Amoxicillin; D017963:Azithromycin