Miller's lung

A type of allergic inflammation of the lungs (hypersensitivity pneumonitis) in people who are hypersensitive to the granary weevil (the wheat weevil or Sitophilus granarius).

People who work with grains or flours contaminated with this weevil are at especially high risk for this disease.

Hence, the name miller's lung.

Persons who have developed a hypersensitive to the granary weevil typically have an acute reaction including fever, cough, chills, and shortness of breath within hours of reexposure to the weevil.

Given no further contact with the evil weevil, the person's symptoms typically improve over a day or two, but weeks may be need for full recovery.

In the subacute form of miller's lung, a cough and shortness of breath develop over days or weeks and may be so severe as to require hospitalization.

With chronic miller's lung from contact with the weevil over months to years, there may be scarring (fibrosis) of the lung with increasing shortness of breath and a cough productive of sputum, progressing over months or years to respiratory failure.