Building-related asthma in Denver office workers.

An epidemiological study was instigated by reports from a Denver office building of cases of building-related asthma and hyper-sensitivity pneumonitis. The methodology used was a cross-sectional and self-administered questionnaire completed by workers in this building and a similar one in the suburbs. The Denver workers showed a much higher rate of respiratory disease than the suburban workers (512 compared to 281). The Denver workers also suffered more often with respiratory symptoms and were 4.9 times more likely to suffer from asthma, diagnosed by a doctor, with onset or exacerbation since working in the building. No link could be found between any particular ventilation system in the building and asthma. Water entering through a substandard wall may have contributed to the problem, but the etiology is unknown. The study concluded that there was evidence that asthma was related to the office building. The Denver case may be symptomatic of many more unreported cases and there may be a need for a public health investigation to establish avoidable causes of the problem.