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- Title
Airborne Endotoxin Is Associated with Respiratory Illness in the First 2 Years of Life.
- Authors
Dales, Robert; Miller, David; Ruest, Ken; Guay, Mireille; Judek, Stan
- Abstract
To determine the influence of endotoxin on the incidence of acute respiratory illness during the first 2 years of life, we carried out a longitudinal follow-up study, beginning at birth, of 332 children born in Prince Edward Island, Canada. We measured 5-day averaged air endotoxin in the homes of children, whose parents provided information by daily symptom diaries and twice-monthly telephone contact for up to 2 years. Endotoxin concentration was 0.49 ± 3.49 EU/m³ (geometric mean ± geometric SD), and number of annualized illness episodes was 6.83 ± 2.80 (mean ± SD). A doubling of the air endotoxin concentration was associated with an increase of 0.32 illness episodes per year (p = 0.0003), adjusted for age, year of study, breast-feeding, environmental tobacco smoke, child care attendance, indoor temperature, and income. Indoor mold surface area and fungal ergosterol were not significantly associated with endotoxin. Airborne endotoxin appears to be a risk factor for clinically symptomatic respiratory illnesses during the first 2 years of life independent of indoor fungus.
- Subjects
PRINCE Edward Island; CANADA; CHILDREN &; the environment; ENDOTOXINS; PEDIATRIC respiratory diseases; BACTERIA; HOUSING; ERGOSTEROL; ENVIRONMENTAL Health Perspectives (Periodical)
- Publication
Environmental Health Perspectives, 2006, Vol 114, Issue 4, p610
- ISSN
0091-6765
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1289/ehp.8142