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Article in Japanese
Abstract
Case Report
A probable case of pulmonary actinomycosis caused during sediment removal work after heavy flooding
Kunihiko Funaishi Hideto Oshita Noriaki Ito Misato Senoo Yasuyuki Mitama Ken Okusaki
Department of Internal Medicine, Mihara Medical Association Hospital
ABSTRACT
During the 2018 West Japan floods, an 85-year-old man suffered a sediment-related disaster and engaged in sediment removal work every day. One month after the disaster, he developed right lower lobe pulmonary pneumonia, which did not respond to quinolone antibiotics. Bronchoscopy revealed the presence of sulfur granules in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, constituting a suspected case of pulmonary actinomycosis. Treatment was changed to β-lactam antibiotics and led to a rapid improvement in the pneumonia. He had no dental disease and therefore the fact that he was exposed to sediment containing actinomycetes could have led to the actinomycosis. Several respiratory infections caused by environment-derived microorganisms have been reported after natural disasters. Therefore, caution must be taken during disaster-related medical care.
KEYWORDS
Actinomycosis West Japan heavy rain disaster Disaster-related diseases Soil microorganism
Received 17 Oct 2019 ／ Accepted 9 Jan 2020
AJRS, 9(3): 166-169, 2020
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