Doctors are warning pipers, trumpeters, saxophonists and other wind musicians to keep their instruments scrupulously clean to avoid contracting fatal lung diseases.
In the medical journal Thorax, they describe a rare but fatal case of ‘bagpipe lung’ in a 61 year-old patient.
The man, who is now deceased, appeared to have developed a reaction against mould and fungi growing inside his bagpipes.
Doctors are now urging other musicians to be extra hygienic, and stipulate that instruments should be cleaned regularly to prevent the build-up of yeast and other harmful pathogens.
They also urge any player who gets breathless and develops a cough to consider whether their symptoms might be caused by their music practice.
The concern comes after doctors at the Wythenshawe Hospital who treated the piper sent his instrument off to a laboratory, where tests revealed it was riddled with pathogens.
Dr Jenny King, a member of the Wythenshawe team, told the BBC: ‘Sadly, in his case, the damage was fatal.
‘If you can diagnose these problems early and remove the trigger then they can be treated and the prognosis is really good.
‘These organisms are around in the air, but they're not usually at a high enough level to cause problems. You do sometimes see this type of lung problem in people who work on farms and are exposed to lots of mouldy hay.’
Andrew Bova who works at the National Piping Centre in Glasgow, added: ‘Certainly, when it comes to cleaning a woodwind instrument I would say give it a swab after every time you play.
‘The moisture can sit in the nooks and crannies and you don't want that. Moisture can damage the wood so we swab to protect the instrument as much as anything.’
In the medical journal Thorax, they describe a rare but fatal case of ‘bagpipe lung’ in a 61 year-old patient.
The man, who is now deceased, appeared to have developed a reaction against mould and fungi growing inside his bagpipes.
Doctors are now urging other musicians to be extra hygienic, and stipulate that instruments should be cleaned regularly to prevent the build-up of yeast and other harmful pathogens.
They also urge any player who gets breathless and develops a cough to consider whether their symptoms might be caused by their music practice.
The concern comes after doctors at the Wythenshawe Hospital who treated the piper sent his instrument off to a laboratory, where tests revealed it was riddled with pathogens.
Dr Jenny King, a member of the Wythenshawe team, told the BBC: ‘Sadly, in his case, the damage was fatal.
‘If you can diagnose these problems early and remove the trigger then they can be treated and the prognosis is really good.
‘These organisms are around in the air, but they're not usually at a high enough level to cause problems. You do sometimes see this type of lung problem in people who work on farms and are exposed to lots of mouldy hay.’
Andrew Bova who works at the National Piping Centre in Glasgow, added: ‘Certainly, when it comes to cleaning a woodwind instrument I would say give it a swab after every time you play.
‘The moisture can sit in the nooks and crannies and you don't want that. Moisture can damage the wood so we swab to protect the instrument as much as anything.’
