Wind musicians warned over hygiene as fatal case of 'bagpipe lung' reported

Doctors discovered that trigger for fatal case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis was likely to have been fungi living inside man ’s bagpipesWind musicians have be warned to clean their instruments after a man died from a lung disease triggered by fungi lurking in his bagpipes.The piper developed a serious inflammation of the lungs, known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, that worsened over a number of years, leaving him with a dry cough, breathlessness and curtailing the distance he could walk from 10 kilometres to just 20 metres. Eventually, in 2014, the 61-year old was admitted to hospital where he later died.Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - August 22, 2016 Category: Science Authors: Nicola Davis Tags: Fungi Science Biology Health & wellbeing Source Type: news