TWO UNUSUAL CLUSTERS OF JOINT SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH SEWER GASES, MOLD EXPOSURE AND ATYPICAL MYCOBACTERIA

摘要

Although the causes for rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diseases remain obscure, previous epidemiological studies have shown that rheumatoid arthritis is associated with age, female sex, smoking and certain occupational exposures. A few unusual clusters of autoimmune diseases have been found in association with moisture damaged buildings. In this paper, clustering of joint symptoms is described in a school building and a day care center in a rural Finnish town. Both buildings have prolonged indoor air problems associated with moisture damage, microbial growth in construction, insufficient ventilation and unpleasant odors of sewer gases. In microbial samples, high concentrations of moisture damage indicative microbes were detected in material samples and additionally, atypical mycobacteria were found in indoor air and material samples. A questionnaire study showed a high proportion of workers with muscle and joint pain and relatively high number of workers with doctor diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis or other type of collagenosis.