Beta thalassemia occurs most often in people of Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Southern Asian, and African ancestry. Diagnosis
Abdominal pain due to hypersplenism, splenic infarction and right-upper quadrant pain caused by gallstones are major clinical manifestations. However, diagnosing thalassemia from symptoms alone is inadequate. Physicians note these signs as associative due to this diseases complexity. The following associative signs can attest to the severity of the phenotype: pallor, poor growth, inadequate food intake, splenomegaly, jaundice, maxillary hyperplasia, dental malocclusion, cholelithiasis, systolic ejection murmur in the presence of severe anemia and pathologic fractures. Based on symptoms, tests are ordered for a differential diagnosis. These tests include complete blood count; hemoglobin electrophoresis; serum transferrin, ferritin, total iron-binding capacity; urine urobilin and urobilogen; peripheral blood smear, which may show codocytes, or target cells; hematocrit; and serum bilirubin. The expected pattern on hemoglobin electrophoresis in people with beta-thalassemia is an increased level of hemoglobin A2 and slightly increased hemoglobin F. The diagnosis is confirmed with hemoglobin electrophoresis or high performance liquid chromatography.Skeletal changes associated with expansion of the bone marrow:

Chipmunk facies: bossing of the skull, prominent malar eminence, depression of the bridge of the nose, tendency to a mongoloid slant of the eye, and exposure of the upper teeth due to hypertrophy of the maxillae. Hair-on-end (or "crew cut") on skull X-ray: new bone formation due to the inner table. DNA analysis
All beta thalassemias may exhibit abnormal red blood cells; a family history is followed by DNA analysis.
Bagassosis, an interstitial lung disease, is a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis attributed to exposure to moldy molasses or bagasse dust. Signs and symptoms
Some symptoms and signs of Bagassosis include breathlessness, cough, haemoptysis, slight fever. Acute diffuse bronchiolitis may also occur. An xray may show mottling of lungs or a shadow. Cause
Bagassosis has been shown to be due to a thermophilic actinomycetes for which the name thermoactinomycetes sacchari was suggested. Prevention
The following are precautionary measures that can be taken to avoid the spread of bagassosis:

Dust control-prevention /suppression of dust such as wet process, enclosed apparatus, exhaust ventilation etc. should be used
Personal protection- masks/ respirators
Medical control- initial medical examination & periodical checkups of workers
Bagasse control- keep moisture content above 20% and spray bagasse with 2% propionic acid

History
Bagassosis was first reported in India by Ganguly and Pal in 1955, in a cardboard manufacturing plant near Kolkata. India has a large cane sugar industry. The sugarcane fibre which, until recently, went to waste, is now utilised in the manufacture of cardboard, paper and rayon. References


== External links ==