Question

Question 6

A gold mining operation outside of Fort Collins, Colorado employs about 150 miners who are forced to live and sleep in caves adjacent to the mines. Dogs, horses and man all live within these subterranean shelters and defecate and urinate near or just outside the openings to the caves.

• 17 of these miners begin to show some strange symptoms that consist of the following: skin rash with cutaneous tracks; brief pulmonary symptoms, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
• 16 of the 17 sleep near the cave openings where ventilation is better and a late night nature call can be more easily attended to.

*Name the disease

*Describe the circumstances leading to its transmission to man.

Answer 1

The name of the disease is Silicosis .

Silicosis is a lung disease that is incurable. It is caused by inhaling silica dust from gold-bearing rocks over a prolonged period.