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Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis (CPA)
Context
In Assam, particularly in tea plantation areas, tuberculosis (TB) has been a significant health issue. A new study has highlighted a life-threatening fungal infection, chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA), that affects TB survivors.
About Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA)
- Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is caused by a fungus called Aspergillus fumigatus, which affects people with weakened immune systems, especially those who’ve had TB.
- It causes gradual scarring of the lungs for months and years.
- It is a debilitating condition that causes severe tiredness, weight loss, breathlessness, and coughing up blood.
- While exposure to Aspergillus is harmless to most people, it may affect those with lung damage.
- Symptoms: CPA shares similar symptoms with TB, such as chronic cough, coughing up blood, weight loss, and fatigue. It’s more common in tea workers, especially those who have had TB.
- The disease is more common in middle-aged male workers, likely due to factors like smoking.
- Epidemic Dropsy and Nutrition Concerns
- A separate study on epidemic dropsy in tea workers linked low-grade cooking oils to the condition.
- Epidemic dropsy is caused by consuming oil contaminated with Argemone mexicana, a toxic plant.
- The toxic alkaloids in argemone oil cause heart failure and blindness. A study on 38 patients with epidemic dropsy found that most were male and died from cardiogenic shock (heart failure).
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