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http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/2020/2020_toxicmold021129.html

A growing number of families are abandoning their homes, saying that

Stachybotrys chartarum, or " black mold " is making them ill. (ABCNEWS.com)

Toxic Intruder

Black Mold Panic Has Families Fleeing Their Homes

Nov. 29 — Believe it or not, families around the country are fleeing their

homes — or having them destroyed — because of an insidious intruder they say

is making them sick.

The invader? Black mold. Its technical name is Stachybotrys chartarum —

stachy for short — and it's got a lot of people panicked.

In Oregon, the O'Hara family asked their local fire department to burn their

$450,000 home to the ground after black mold was found inside. " It's

basically just a house that poisoned my family, " Mark O'Hara said.

In Hawaii, a $95 million Hilton Hotel tower has been closed since July

because black mold was found in some of the rooms.

In a July 2001 story Time magazine said toxic mold is spreading " like some

sort of biblical plague. " The New York Daily News called it " killer mold. "

Whatever you call it, across the country, black mold is causing people to

abandon buildings, close schools and leave beautiful homes sitting vacant.

In Seabrook, Texas, the Hammond family lived in tents in their backyard for

almost nine months, waiting for their insurance company to settle their

claim and clean up black mold they say they discovered in their home.

Beverly and Mike Hammond say a bathroom leak caused the black mold to grow.

The Hammonds lived for months with a " potty tent " that served as an outhouse

" As soon as I saw the mold, then we, you know, hightailed it for the tent, "

Beverly Hammond said.

They say the mold made them sick, causing fatigue and joint pain, and will

only go in their house with a respirator.

Texas Dream House Turned 'Toxic Tara'

Melinda Ballard's mansion near Austin, Texas is considered by many to be the

" ground zero " of the current mold hysteria. Like Diane Fortner, Ballard once

thought of her estate as a dream home. Ballard now refers to it as " Toxic

Tara. "

Ballard says it all began with a leaky roof and some burst pipes. She claims

her insurance company lied to her, delaying her request to have the wet

materials in her home replaced. That's when she says the black mold began to

grow under the kitchen floorboards and spread to other areas. Finally, she

and her family left.

" On April 23rd, 1999, we walked out of that home with nothing more than the

clothes on our backs, " Ballard said.

Ballard is suing her insurance company because of the black mold. She

invited 20/20 to look around her home, but insisted we wear protective suits

and respirators.

Ballard's case made news last year when a jury ordered her insurance company

to pay her a staggering $32 million for acting in bad faith. The judgment is

now being appealed.

In addition to making her house unlivable, Ballard claims, the mold also

caused serious health problems.

She said her son, Reese, was gasping to get air into his lungs, coughing up

blood and suffering terrible headaches. She said her husband, Ron, had

similar symptoms, including what she calls early Alzheimer's.

Ballard said, " I know men forget their anniversaries and they forget things

like that, but they don't forget what kind of car they've driven. They don't

forget where they live. … He did. "

Some scientists say memory loss and internal bleeding could be linked to

mold.

" You can see mucosal bleeding, like bleeding from the nose and the ears, you

can see hair loss … and there are some individuals that feel that indeed

cognitive dysfunction or the inability to think, is also the result of the

inhalation of fungal spores, " said Straus, a microbiologist at Texas

Tech.

That's certainly frightening, but it's also controversial.

Straus acknowledged that there is no conclusive proof that these serious

illnesses are caused by black mold. However, Straus said, " The data are

coming. " Straus even claims his one visit to " Toxic Tara " as a consultant

resulted in permanent hearing loss.

" I can't prove that the hearing loss occurred because of my exposure to mold

in Melinda's house, " but Straus added, " that's exactly the day that it began

"

Turning Mold into Gold?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are very few case

reports of mold in the home causing internal bleeding or memory loss, and no

link has been established. Most scientists say the only proven effects from

mold are allergic reactions and possible respiratory problems — including

asthma. Some say mold fear is being whipped up by lawyers and mold cleanup

companies eager to turn mold into gold.

University of Texas Medical Center immunologist, Dr. Gailen Marshall said

some of his patients have been told to leave their homes and that black mold

can kill them. But Marshall insists there's no cause for alarm.

" I think it's being blown horrendously out of proportion … All the stories

that are out there are based primarily on testimonials and conjecture, not

on hard scientific evidence, " Marshall said.

The stories of mold panic are so widespread — they're even being spoofed on

kids' cartoon shows. The parodies of mold fear ring all too true to Gordon

of the Insurance Information Institute.

" There is no such thing as killer mold, " said. He said mold —

including black mold — has been around for centuries, and that people have

only become hysterical about mold in the past few years.

Two years ago, there were only 1,000 mold-related insurance claims in Texas.

That number soared to 14,000 last year. And now insurers, nationwide, are

raising rates or dropping mold coverage altogether.

" There isn't more mold now than there was two years ago. There is more mold

fear than there was two years ago, and there may be in some cases, more mold

greed, " said.

Marshall said he does believe most of his patients complaining of

mold-related illnesses really are sick. " The question is what is the

relationship between the presence of mold and their illnesses? … There's

really no evidence that the very presence of mold, which is really

everywhere in our environment, will by itself create bleeding, will by

itself create memory loss or deficit, et cetera, " Marshall said.

He believes what may be making some of them sick is not the mold — but the

panic that's been created. Marshall insists the greatest danger isn't from

the mold but from the panic that's been created.

He said, " There is clear evidence that the chronic anxiety that may result

from something like this itself has a negative health consequence. "

While there's no evidence toxic mold in the home is deadly — there is

increasing debate about how dangerous it might be — and the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention is funding a study of mold's health effects.

In the meantime — many families aren't taking any chances.

What To Do

If you see mold in your home, everyone agrees you should get rid of it. But

experts say in most cases there is no need to have expensive mold

remediation done. They advise homeowners to stop the water intrusion and to

simply clean up the mold with a little bleach. If it has spread, experts

advise homeowners to replace moldy building materials like Sheetrock. It's

also important to note that not all black-colored mold is Stachybotrys

chartarum.

For more information on what you should do if you think you have mold in

your home, visit the following Web sites:

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: The EPA Web site includes " A Brief Guide

to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home, " which provides information and guidance

for homeowners and renters on how to clean up residential mold problems and

how to prevent mold growth. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/moldresources.html

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: The CDC Web site has

information on air pollution and respiratory health, including this question

and answer page on Stachybotrys chartarum. http://www.cdc

gov/nceh/airpollution/mold/stachy.htm.

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Share on other sites

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http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/2020/2020_toxicmold021129.html

A growing number of families are abandoning their homes, saying that

Stachybotrys chartarum, or " black mold " is making them ill. (ABCNEWS.com)

Toxic Intruder

Black Mold Panic Has Families Fleeing Their Homes

Nov. 29 — Believe it or not, families around the country are fleeing their

homes — or having them destroyed — because of an insidious intruder they say

is making them sick.

The invader? Black mold. Its technical name is Stachybotrys chartarum —

stachy for short — and it's got a lot of people panicked.

In Oregon, the O'Hara family asked their local fire department to burn their

$450,000 home to the ground after black mold was found inside. " It's

basically just a house that poisoned my family, " Mark O'Hara said.

In Hawaii, a $95 million Hilton Hotel tower has been closed since July

because black mold was found in some of the rooms.

In a July 2001 story Time magazine said toxic mold is spreading " like some

sort of biblical plague. " The New York Daily News called it " killer mold. "

Whatever you call it, across the country, black mold is causing people to

abandon buildings, close schools and leave beautiful homes sitting vacant.

In Seabrook, Texas, the Hammond family lived in tents in their backyard for

almost nine months, waiting for their insurance company to settle their

claim and clean up black mold they say they discovered in their home.

Beverly and Mike Hammond say a bathroom leak caused the black mold to grow.

The Hammonds lived for months with a " potty tent " that served as an outhouse

" As soon as I saw the mold, then we, you know, hightailed it for the tent, "

Beverly Hammond said.

They say the mold made them sick, causing fatigue and joint pain, and will

only go in their house with a respirator.

Texas Dream House Turned 'Toxic Tara'

Melinda Ballard's mansion near Austin, Texas is considered by many to be the

" ground zero " of the current mold hysteria. Like Diane Fortner, Ballard once

thought of her estate as a dream home. Ballard now refers to it as " Toxic

Tara. "

Ballard says it all began with a leaky roof and some burst pipes. She claims

her insurance company lied to her, delaying her request to have the wet

materials in her home replaced. That's when she says the black mold began to

grow under the kitchen floorboards and spread to other areas. Finally, she

and her family left.

" On April 23rd, 1999, we walked out of that home with nothing more than the

clothes on our backs, " Ballard said.

Ballard is suing her insurance company because of the black mold. She

invited 20/20 to look around her home, but insisted we wear protective suits

and respirators.

Ballard's case made news last year when a jury ordered her insurance company

to pay her a staggering $32 million for acting in bad faith. The judgment is

now being appealed.

In addition to making her house unlivable, Ballard claims, the mold also

caused serious health problems.

She said her son, Reese, was gasping to get air into his lungs, coughing up

blood and suffering terrible headaches. She said her husband, Ron, had

similar symptoms, including what she calls early Alzheimer's.

Ballard said, " I know men forget their anniversaries and they forget things

like that, but they don't forget what kind of car they've driven. They don't

forget where they live. … He did. "

Some scientists say memory loss and internal bleeding could be linked to

mold.

" You can see mucosal bleeding, like bleeding from the nose and the ears, you

can see hair loss … and there are some individuals that feel that indeed

cognitive dysfunction or the inability to think, is also the result of the

inhalation of fungal spores, " said Straus, a microbiologist at Texas

Tech.

That's certainly frightening, but it's also controversial.

Straus acknowledged that there is no conclusive proof that these serious

illnesses are caused by black mold. However, Straus said, " The data are

coming. " Straus even claims his one visit to " Toxic Tara " as a consultant

resulted in permanent hearing loss.

" I can't prove that the hearing loss occurred because of my exposure to mold

in Melinda's house, " but Straus added, " that's exactly the day that it began

"

Turning Mold into Gold?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are very few case

reports of mold in the home causing internal bleeding or memory loss, and no

link has been established. Most scientists say the only proven effects from

mold are allergic reactions and possible respiratory problems — including

asthma. Some say mold fear is being whipped up by lawyers and mold cleanup

companies eager to turn mold into gold.

University of Texas Medical Center immunologist, Dr. Gailen Marshall said

some of his patients have been told to leave their homes and that black mold

can kill them. But Marshall insists there's no cause for alarm.

" I think it's being blown horrendously out of proportion … All the stories

that are out there are based primarily on testimonials and conjecture, not

on hard scientific evidence, " Marshall said.

The stories of mold panic are so widespread — they're even being spoofed on

kids' cartoon shows. The parodies of mold fear ring all too true to Gordon

of the Insurance Information Institute.

" There is no such thing as killer mold, " said. He said mold —

including black mold — has been around for centuries, and that people have

only become hysterical about mold in the past few years.

Two years ago, there were only 1,000 mold-related insurance claims in Texas.

That number soared to 14,000 last year. And now insurers, nationwide, are

raising rates or dropping mold coverage altogether.

" There isn't more mold now than there was two years ago. There is more mold

fear than there was two years ago, and there may be in some cases, more mold

greed, " said.

Marshall said he does believe most of his patients complaining of

mold-related illnesses really are sick. " The question is what is the

relationship between the presence of mold and their illnesses? … There's

really no evidence that the very presence of mold, which is really

everywhere in our environment, will by itself create bleeding, will by

itself create memory loss or deficit, et cetera, " Marshall said.

He believes what may be making some of them sick is not the mold — but the

panic that's been created. Marshall insists the greatest danger isn't from

the mold but from the panic that's been created.

He said, " There is clear evidence that the chronic anxiety that may result

from something like this itself has a negative health consequence. "

While there's no evidence toxic mold in the home is deadly — there is

increasing debate about how dangerous it might be — and the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention is funding a study of mold's health effects.

In the meantime — many families aren't taking any chances.

What To Do

If you see mold in your home, everyone agrees you should get rid of it. But

experts say in most cases there is no need to have expensive mold

remediation done. They advise homeowners to stop the water intrusion and to

simply clean up the mold with a little bleach. If it has spread, experts

advise homeowners to replace moldy building materials like Sheetrock. It's

also important to note that not all black-colored mold is Stachybotrys

chartarum.

For more information on what you should do if you think you have mold in

your home, visit the following Web sites:

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: The EPA Web site includes " A Brief Guide

to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home, " which provides information and guidance

for homeowners and renters on how to clean up residential mold problems and

how to prevent mold growth. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/moldresources.html

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: The CDC Web site has

information on air pollution and respiratory health, including this question

and answer page on Stachybotrys chartarum. http://www.cdc

gov/nceh/airpollution/mold/stachy.htm.

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This is a very disturbing piece of "journalism." It did not make my morning. I tried to find out who did the article but only ABC - no name of the author. The public and news media act like it is easy to win a civil case. The Austin, TX case was not won on LACK of evidence. I would like to have asked the author if the horrific things that happened to the Austin family happened to him, his wife and kid, would he have just cleaned the house? IF we wait for the last shred of scientific evidence a whole lot more of us will be deathly ill.

a Carnes

----- Original Message -----

From: Patilla DaHun

Sent: Friday, April 02, 2004 6:52 AM

Subject: [] Fwd: Toxic Intruder Black Mold Panic Has Families Fleeing Their Homes

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/2020/2020_toxicmold021129.htmlA growing number of families are abandoning their homes, saying thatStachybotrys chartarum, or "black mold" is making them ill. (ABCNEWS.com)Toxic IntruderBlack Mold Panic Has Families Fleeing Their HomesNov. 29 — Believe it or not, families around the country are fleeing theirhomes — or having them destroyed — because of an insidious intruder they sayis making them sick. The invader? Black mold. Its technical name is Stachybotrys chartarum —stachy for short — and it's got a lot of people panicked. In Oregon, the O'Hara family asked their local fire department to burn their$450,000 home to the ground after black mold was found inside. "It'sbasically just a house that poisoned my family," Mark O'Hara said. In Hawaii, a $95 million Hilton Hotel tower has been closed since Julybecause black mold was found in some of the rooms. In a July 2001 story Time magazine said toxic mold is spreading "like somesort of biblical plague." The New York Daily News called it "killer mold." Whatever you call it, across the country, black mold is causing people toabandon buildings, close schools and leave beautiful homes sitting vacant. In Seabrook, Texas, the Hammond family lived in tents in their backyard foralmost nine months, waiting for their insurance company to settle theirclaim and clean up black mold they say they discovered in their home. Beverly and Mike Hammond say a bathroom leak caused the black mold to grow.The Hammonds lived for months with a "potty tent" that served as an outhouse"As soon as I saw the mold, then we, you know, hightailed it for the tent,"Beverly Hammond said. They say the mold made them sick, causing fatigue and joint pain, and willonly go in their house with a respirator. Texas Dream House Turned 'Toxic Tara' Melinda Ballard's mansion near Austin, Texas is considered by many to be the"ground zero" of the current mold hysteria. Like Diane Fortner, Ballard oncethought of her estate as a dream home. Ballard now refers to it as "ToxicTara." Ballard says it all began with a leaky roof and some burst pipes. She claimsher insurance company lied to her, delaying her request to have the wetmaterials in her home replaced. That's when she says the black mold began togrow under the kitchen floorboards and spread to other areas. Finally, sheand her family left. "On April 23rd, 1999, we walked out of that home with nothing more than theclothes on our backs," Ballard said. Ballard is suing her insurance company because of the black mold. Sheinvited 20/20 to look around her home, but insisted we wear protective suitsand respirators. Ballard's case made news last year when a jury ordered her insurance companyto pay her a staggering $32 million for acting in bad faith. The judgment isnow being appealed. In addition to making her house unlivable, Ballard claims, the mold alsocaused serious health problems. She said her son, Reese, was gasping to get air into his lungs, coughing upblood and suffering terrible headaches. She said her husband, Ron, hadsimilar symptoms, including what she calls early Alzheimer's. Ballard said, "I know men forget their anniversaries and they forget thingslike that, but they don't forget what kind of car they've driven. They don'tforget where they live. … He did." Some scientists say memory loss and internal bleeding could be linked tomold. "You can see mucosal bleeding, like bleeding from the nose and the ears, youcan see hair loss … and there are some individuals that feel that indeedcognitive dysfunction or the inability to think, is also the result of theinhalation of fungal spores," said Straus, a microbiologist at TexasTech. That's certainly frightening, but it's also controversial. Straus acknowledged that there is no conclusive proof that these seriousillnesses are caused by black mold. However, Straus said, "The data arecoming." Straus even claims his one visit to "Toxic Tara" as a consultantresulted in permanent hearing loss. "I can't prove that the hearing loss occurred because of my exposure to moldin Melinda's house," but Straus added, "that's exactly the day that it began" Turning Mold into Gold? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are very few casereports of mold in the home causing internal bleeding or memory loss, and nolink has been established. Most scientists say the only proven effects frommold are allergic reactions and possible respiratory problems — includingasthma. Some say mold fear is being whipped up by lawyers and mold cleanupcompanies eager to turn mold into gold. University of Texas Medical Center immunologist, Dr. Gailen Marshall saidsome of his patients have been told to leave their homes and that black moldcan kill them. But Marshall insists there's no cause for alarm. "I think it's being blown horrendously out of proportion … All the storiesthat are out there are based primarily on testimonials and conjecture, noton hard scientific evidence," Marshall said. The stories of mold panic are so widespread — they're even being spoofed onkids' cartoon shows. The parodies of mold fear ring all too true to Gordon of the Insurance Information Institute. "There is no such thing as killer mold," said. He said mold —including black mold — has been around for centuries, and that people haveonly become hysterical about mold in the past few years. Two years ago, there were only 1,000 mold-related insurance claims in Texas.That number soared to 14,000 last year. And now insurers, nationwide, areraising rates or dropping mold coverage altogether. "There isn't more mold now than there was two years ago. There is more moldfear than there was two years ago, and there may be in some cases, more moldgreed," said. Marshall said he does believe most of his patients complaining ofmold-related illnesses really are sick. "The question is what is therelationship between the presence of mold and their illnesses? … There'sreally no evidence that the very presence of mold, which is reallyeverywhere in our environment, will by itself create bleeding, will byitself create memory loss or deficit, et cetera," Marshall said. He believes what may be making some of them sick is not the mold — but thepanic that's been created. Marshall insists the greatest danger isn't fromthe mold but from the panic that's been created. He said, "There is clear evidence that the chronic anxiety that may resultfrom something like this itself has a negative health consequence." While there's no evidence toxic mold in the home is deadly — there isincreasing debate about how dangerous it might be — and the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention is funding a study of mold's health effects. In the meantime — many families aren't taking any chances. What To Do If you see mold in your home, everyone agrees you should get rid of it. Butexperts say in most cases there is no need to have expensive moldremediation done. They advise homeowners to stop the water intrusion and tosimply clean up the mold with a little bleach. If it has spread, expertsadvise homeowners to replace moldy building materials like Sheetrock. It'salso important to note that not all black-colored mold is Stachybotryschartarum. For more information on what you should do if you think you have mold inyour home, visit the following Web sites: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: The EPA Web site includes "A Brief Guideto Mold, Moisture, and Your Home," which provides information and guidancefor homeowners and renters on how to clean up residential mold problems andhow to prevent mold growth. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/moldresources.html CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: The CDC Web site hasinformation on air pollution and respiratory health, including this questionand answer page on Stachybotrys chartarum. http://www.cdcgov/nceh/airpollution/mold/stachy.htm. FAIR USE NOTICE:This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

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This is a very disturbing piece of "journalism." It did not make my morning. I tried to find out who did the article but only ABC - no name of the author. The public and news media act like it is easy to win a civil case. The Austin, TX case was not won on LACK of evidence. I would like to have asked the author if the horrific things that happened to the Austin family happened to him, his wife and kid, would he have just cleaned the house? IF we wait for the last shred of scientific evidence a whole lot more of us will be deathly ill.

a Carnes

----- Original Message -----

From: Patilla DaHun

Sent: Friday, April 02, 2004 6:52 AM

Subject: [] Fwd: Toxic Intruder Black Mold Panic Has Families Fleeing Their Homes

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/2020/2020_toxicmold021129.htmlA growing number of families are abandoning their homes, saying thatStachybotrys chartarum, or "black mold" is making them ill. (ABCNEWS.com)Toxic IntruderBlack Mold Panic Has Families Fleeing Their HomesNov. 29 — Believe it or not, families around the country are fleeing theirhomes — or having them destroyed — because of an insidious intruder they sayis making them sick. The invader? Black mold. Its technical name is Stachybotrys chartarum —stachy for short — and it's got a lot of people panicked. In Oregon, the O'Hara family asked their local fire department to burn their$450,000 home to the ground after black mold was found inside. "It'sbasically just a house that poisoned my family," Mark O'Hara said. In Hawaii, a $95 million Hilton Hotel tower has been closed since Julybecause black mold was found in some of the rooms. In a July 2001 story Time magazine said toxic mold is spreading "like somesort of biblical plague." The New York Daily News called it "killer mold." Whatever you call it, across the country, black mold is causing people toabandon buildings, close schools and leave beautiful homes sitting vacant. In Seabrook, Texas, the Hammond family lived in tents in their backyard foralmost nine months, waiting for their insurance company to settle theirclaim and clean up black mold they say they discovered in their home. Beverly and Mike Hammond say a bathroom leak caused the black mold to grow.The Hammonds lived for months with a "potty tent" that served as an outhouse"As soon as I saw the mold, then we, you know, hightailed it for the tent,"Beverly Hammond said. They say the mold made them sick, causing fatigue and joint pain, and willonly go in their house with a respirator. Texas Dream House Turned 'Toxic Tara' Melinda Ballard's mansion near Austin, Texas is considered by many to be the"ground zero" of the current mold hysteria. Like Diane Fortner, Ballard oncethought of her estate as a dream home. Ballard now refers to it as "ToxicTara." Ballard says it all began with a leaky roof and some burst pipes. She claimsher insurance company lied to her, delaying her request to have the wetmaterials in her home replaced. That's when she says the black mold began togrow under the kitchen floorboards and spread to other areas. Finally, sheand her family left. "On April 23rd, 1999, we walked out of that home with nothing more than theclothes on our backs," Ballard said. Ballard is suing her insurance company because of the black mold. Sheinvited 20/20 to look around her home, but insisted we wear protective suitsand respirators. Ballard's case made news last year when a jury ordered her insurance companyto pay her a staggering $32 million for acting in bad faith. The judgment isnow being appealed. In addition to making her house unlivable, Ballard claims, the mold alsocaused serious health problems. She said her son, Reese, was gasping to get air into his lungs, coughing upblood and suffering terrible headaches. She said her husband, Ron, hadsimilar symptoms, including what she calls early Alzheimer's. Ballard said, "I know men forget their anniversaries and they forget thingslike that, but they don't forget what kind of car they've driven. They don'tforget where they live. … He did." Some scientists say memory loss and internal bleeding could be linked tomold. "You can see mucosal bleeding, like bleeding from the nose and the ears, youcan see hair loss … and there are some individuals that feel that indeedcognitive dysfunction or the inability to think, is also the result of theinhalation of fungal spores," said Straus, a microbiologist at TexasTech. That's certainly frightening, but it's also controversial. Straus acknowledged that there is no conclusive proof that these seriousillnesses are caused by black mold. However, Straus said, "The data arecoming." Straus even claims his one visit to "Toxic Tara" as a consultantresulted in permanent hearing loss. "I can't prove that the hearing loss occurred because of my exposure to moldin Melinda's house," but Straus added, "that's exactly the day that it began" Turning Mold into Gold? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are very few casereports of mold in the home causing internal bleeding or memory loss, and nolink has been established. Most scientists say the only proven effects frommold are allergic reactions and possible respiratory problems — includingasthma. Some say mold fear is being whipped up by lawyers and mold cleanupcompanies eager to turn mold into gold. University of Texas Medical Center immunologist, Dr. Gailen Marshall saidsome of his patients have been told to leave their homes and that black moldcan kill them. But Marshall insists there's no cause for alarm. "I think it's being blown horrendously out of proportion … All the storiesthat are out there are based primarily on testimonials and conjecture, noton hard scientific evidence," Marshall said. The stories of mold panic are so widespread — they're even being spoofed onkids' cartoon shows. The parodies of mold fear ring all too true to Gordon of the Insurance Information Institute. "There is no such thing as killer mold," said. He said mold —including black mold — has been around for centuries, and that people haveonly become hysterical about mold in the past few years. Two years ago, there were only 1,000 mold-related insurance claims in Texas.That number soared to 14,000 last year. And now insurers, nationwide, areraising rates or dropping mold coverage altogether. "There isn't more mold now than there was two years ago. There is more moldfear than there was two years ago, and there may be in some cases, more moldgreed," said. Marshall said he does believe most of his patients complaining ofmold-related illnesses really are sick. "The question is what is therelationship between the presence of mold and their illnesses? … There'sreally no evidence that the very presence of mold, which is reallyeverywhere in our environment, will by itself create bleeding, will byitself create memory loss or deficit, et cetera," Marshall said. He believes what may be making some of them sick is not the mold — but thepanic that's been created. Marshall insists the greatest danger isn't fromthe mold but from the panic that's been created. He said, "There is clear evidence that the chronic anxiety that may resultfrom something like this itself has a negative health consequence." While there's no evidence toxic mold in the home is deadly — there isincreasing debate about how dangerous it might be — and the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention is funding a study of mold's health effects. In the meantime — many families aren't taking any chances. What To Do If you see mold in your home, everyone agrees you should get rid of it. Butexperts say in most cases there is no need to have expensive moldremediation done. They advise homeowners to stop the water intrusion and tosimply clean up the mold with a little bleach. If it has spread, expertsadvise homeowners to replace moldy building materials like Sheetrock. It'salso important to note that not all black-colored mold is Stachybotryschartarum. For more information on what you should do if you think you have mold inyour home, visit the following Web sites: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: The EPA Web site includes "A Brief Guideto Mold, Moisture, and Your Home," which provides information and guidancefor homeowners and renters on how to clean up residential mold problems andhow to prevent mold growth. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/moldresources.html CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: The CDC Web site hasinformation on air pollution and respiratory health, including this questionand answer page on Stachybotrys chartarum. http://www.cdcgov/nceh/airpollution/mold/stachy.htm. FAIR USE NOTICE:This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

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