Health officials in Massachusetts issued a safety alert after a man who has worked with stone countertops for over a decade was recently diagnosed with silicosis, a potentially fatal lung disease that forms from silica dust exposure.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said it's the first case of its kind in the state.

The department said the man is in his 40s and has worked for stone countertop fabrication and installation companies in the state for the past 14 years.

Silicosis is a preventable, yet incurable and progressive lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica, which is found naturally in granite and other stones, health officials said.

Processes like cutting, polishing, or grinding stone can generate silica dust, which can cause silicosis if inhaled. Most cas

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