[Mushroom worker's lung caused by inhalation of spores of the edible fungus pleurotus Florida ("oyster mushroom") (author's transl)].

A new edible mushroom, known as oyster mushroom (Pleutrotus Florida, variety of Pleurotus ostreatus) has recently gained commercial importance in Europe, having been imported from the U.S.A. in 1963 and cultivated in Germany between 1972 and 1973. Several persons concerned with the cultivation and industrial production of this mushroom fell ill, after close contact with it over a period of some months, with exhaustion, headache, chills and fever, and cough. These symptoms, similar to those of "farmer's lung" were proved to be caused by the spores of Pleurotus Florida, inhaled in harvesting rooms. The suspicion of an allergic disease, is supported by the history and clinical picture, and the demonstration of precipitating antibodies against spore extracts (Ouchterlony test). The antigens probably have a high molecular weight and are fixed to the spore membrane. Experimental sensitisation of rabbits also revealed precipitins. One of three isolated antigens produced antibodies identical in man and rabbit.