Silicosis Kills About 100 in U.S. Annually, Data Show

The incurable respiratory disease caused by exposure to silica dust continues to kill about 100 people per year in the U.S., according to government data announced June 15. In 2011, 88 people died from silicosis, followed by 103 in 2012 and 111 in 2013, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said in a blog post. That fatality data follows a government report released in February showing silicosis mortalities declined from 164 in 2001 to 101 in 2010. Public health specialists said the nearly 40 percent decline in silicosis mortality doesn’t lessen the need for a comprehensive rule to ...