Respiratory syndrome very similar to extrinsic allergic alveolitis due to Penicillium verrucosum in workers in a cheese factory

A respiratory syndrome very similar to extrinsic allergic alveolitis due to Penicillium verrucosum was recognized in 4 workers employed in a Gorgonzol a cheese factory. A mycogen allergy to P. verrucosum, used as starter in th e production, was demonstrated by positive sputum culture and detection of specific antibodies in the blood. Intense and prolonged exposure to inhalat ion of fungal spores could have lead to the development of this allergic re sponse. The fact that 2 of the subjects are siblings seems to indicate host susceptibility or immunological constitution in the pathogenesis of the re spiratory allergy.