Byssinosis not brown. Brown lung can ultimately result in narrowing of the airways, lung scarring and death from infection or respiratory failure. Patient history should reveal exposure to cotton, flax, hemp, or jute dust. Diagnostic tests include a lung function test and a chest x ray or CT scan. Measurable change in lung function before and after working shifts is key to diagnosis. Patients suffering from byssinosis show a significant drop in FEV1 over the course of work shift. Chest radiographs show areas of opacity due to fibrosis of the pulmonary parenchyma. Affected workers should be offered alternative employment. Continued exposure
Meningococcal disease of endemic meningococcal disease during the last 13 years ranges from 1 to 5 per 100,000 in developed countries, and from 10 to 25 per 100,000 in developing countries. During epidemics the incidence of meningococcal disease approaches 100 per 100,000. Meningococcal vaccines have sharply reduced the incidence of the disease in developed countries. The disease's pathogenesis is not fully understood. "Neisseria meningitidis" colonises a substantial proportion of the general population harmlessly, but in a very small percentage of individuals it can invade the bloodstream, affecting the entire body, most notably limbs and brain, causing serious illness. Over the past few