Case Report: Effects of Environmental Smoke Exposure on Respiratory Conditions-A Report of an Aboriginal Man Fire Hunting for Mud Turtles in the Top End, Northern Territory of Australia.
Veronica Nockles, Ethan Hill, Timothy P Howarth, Samuel Browning, Shiraline Wurrawilya, Payi L Ford, Phil Hickey, Andrew Edwards, Subash S Heraganahally
Author Information
Veronica Nockles: Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Ethan Hill: Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Northern Territory Medical Program, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Timothy P Howarth: Darwin Respiratory and Sleep Health, Darwin Private Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Samuel Browning: Department of General Medicine, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Shiraline Wurrawilya: Primary Health Care, Department of Health, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Payi L Ford: Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Phil Hickey: Environmental Services, Department of Infrastructure Planning and Logistics, Northern Territory Government, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Andrew Edwards: Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Subash S Heraganahally: Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Environmental smoke has been shown to have significant associations with both causation and exacerbation of respiratory conditions. Aboriginal Australians in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia are disproportionately affected by respiratory illness in comparison with non-Aboriginal Australians. Traditionally, Aboriginal communities have utilized fire for multiple purposes, such as land management practices, cultural ceremonies, hunting, and cooking. In this report, we describe an Aboriginal man who presented with acute exacerbation of airway disease after environmental smoke exposure while being in the close vicinity of "fire hunting" for "mud turtles" from a Top End remote Aboriginal community in the NT of Australia. This report highlights the potential impact of nontobacco environmental smoke exposure contributing to the causation and exacerbation of chronic respiratory conditions among Aboriginal Australians. Hence, further research is warranted to address mitigating strategies in this population.
References
J Med Radiat Sci. 2024 Sep;71(3):365-374
[PMID: 38516966]
J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Jun 3;147(3):638-44
[PMID: 23563055]
Aust J Rural Health. 2017 Oct;25(5):275-284
[PMID: 28618108]
BMC Emerg Med. 2022 Jan 19;22(1):11
[PMID: 35045817]
