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Volume 21, Number 11—November 2015

Research

Coccidioidomycosis among Workers Constructing Solar Power Farms, California, USA, 2011–2014

Jason A. WilkenComments to Author , Gail Sondermeyer, Dennis Shusterman, Jennifer McNary, Duc Vugia, Ann McDowell, Penny Borenstein, Debra Gilliss, Benedict Ancock, Janice Prudhomme1, Deborah Gold, Gayle C. Windham, Lauren Lee, and Barbara L. Materna
Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (J.A. Wilken); California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, USA (J.A. Wilken, G. Sondermeyer, D. Shusterman, J. McNary, D.J. Vugia, D. Gilliss, B. Ancock, G.C. Windham, L. Lee, B.L. Materna); County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department, San Luis Obispo, California, USA (A. McDowell, P. Borenstein); California Department of Industrial Relations, Oakland, California, USA (J. Prudhomme, D. Gold)

Main Article

Table 1

Demographic characteristics of 44 coccidioidomycosis patients who worked at 2 solar power–generating facilities, San Luis Obispo County, California, USA, with symptom onset October 2011–April 2014*

Characteristic Value
Male sex, no. (%)
 41 (93)
Median age, y (range)
 48 (21–63)
Ethnicity, no. (%), n = 41
Hispanic 11 (26)
Not Hispanic 28 (68)
Don’t know or data missing
 2 (5)
Race, no. (%), n = 41
  White 28 (68)
  Not white† 6 (15)
  Don’t know or declined to state
 7 (17)
Job title, no. (%), n = 43
  Electrician, lineman, or wireman 14 (33)
  Heavy equipment operator 11 (26)
  Laborer 6 (14)
  Carpenter, ironworker, millwright, or mechanic 5 (12)
  Manager or superintendent 4 (9)
  Other
 3 (7)
Permanent residence, no. (%)
  California, San Luis Obispo County 14 (32)
  California, other Coccidioides-endemic county‡ 3 (7)
  California, less Coccidioides–endemic county 17 (39)
  Other state with possible Coccidioides endemicity§ 6 (14)
  Any other state 4 (9)

*Of the 44 patients, 43 were interviewed and 41 completed the interview.
†Including African American, Filipino, Samoan, Native American, and multiracial.
‡Other Coccidioides-endemic counties are Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, and Tulare.
§Other possibly Coccidioides–endemic states are Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah.

Main Article

1Current affiliation: California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, USA.

Page created: October 16, 2015
Page updated: October 16, 2015
Page reviewed: October 16, 2015
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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