Re: Therapy center cleaning up mold

September 18, 2004

Dear Mr. ORourke,

I just read your article

_http://www.brainerddispatch.com/stories/091804/new_0918040039.shtml_

(http://www.brainerddispatch.com/stories/091804/new_0918040039.shtml) about St.

ph's Rehabilitation Center, in Brainerd, MN, that

has mold in it and reassurances Dr. Christian Schrock made, " an infectious

disease consultant who worked with St. ph's on this problem, told officials

that years of intensive study have failed to establish exposure to

Stachybotrys chartarum in home, school and office environment as a cause of

adverse

human health effects.

" He is comfortable with having immuno-suppressed patients to be treated in

this environment as long as they don't have direct contact with the organism, "

Wiebolt said. " We are removing any wallboard that was exposed to flooding. "

I can tell you that The Institute of Medicine, commissioned by the CDC, just

released their final report on Damp Indoor Spaces and Health - in it they

say, on page 10: that " there is sufficient evidence of an association with

upper respiratory tract symptoms, asthma symptoms in sensitized asthmatic

persons, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis in susceptible persons " in their

Summary

of Findings Regarding the Association Between Health Outcomes and the Presence

of Mold or Other Agents in Damp Indoor Environments. Limited or suggestive

evidence was found for an association between exposure to damp indoor

environments and dypsnea (the medical term for shortness of breath), lower

respiratory illness in other-wise healthy children, and the development of

asthma in

susceptible persons. " " The conclusions are not applicable to persons with

compromised immune systems, who are at risk for fungal colonization and

opportunistic infections. " (p. 9)

This report is the most conservative one, and was produced after two years

of study of all available research, worldwide, on these topics. It is

irrefutable, therefore, that the patients with immune system problems would be

at

high risk, as would be at least some (if not all) of the workers and other

patients.

Stachybotris chartarum, listed in the Texas Tech University Fungal Reference

Glossary,

_http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/M

icrobiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/Withframes/Main%20page/ReferenceGu\

ide.htm_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/Withfr\

ames/Main%20page/ReferenceGuide.htm)

has the following notations:

ALLERGENICITY

Can be allergenic(_1440_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/AllerRefAb.htm#A1440) ,_1441_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

am

es/Main%20page/AllerRefAb.htm#A1441) ,_1457_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/AllerRefAb.htm

#A1457) )

MYCOTOXINS PRODUCED

3-Acetyl-deoxynivalenol (_238_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M238) ),

Atranones A-G (_1021_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1021) ,_1443_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%2

0page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1443) ,_1444_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1444) ),

Cyclosporins (_1445_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1445) ),

Diacetoxyscirpenol (_238_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M238) ), Deoxynivalenol or

Vomitoxin (_238_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M238) ,_1449_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/M

ycoRefAb.htm#M1449) ,_1450_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1450) ),

Epoxytrichothecene (_1446_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1446) ), Isosatratoxins

F, G & H (_1447-1449_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1447) ),

Phenylspirodrimanes (_1447_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1447) ), Roridins A, E

(_1449-1452_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1449) ,_1456_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/Myco

RefAb.htm#M1456) ), Satratoxins F, G & H (_238_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.h

tm#M238) ,_1444_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1444) ,_1449-1452_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/M

ain%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1449) ,_1456_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1456

) ), Stachylysin (_1453_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1453) ,_1454_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ame

s/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1454) ,_1458_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1

458) ), Trichoverrols A, B (_1451_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1451)

,_1452_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1452) ), Verrucarins A,J (_1449-1452_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withf

rames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1449) ,_1455_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainwe

b/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withframes/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1455) ,_1456_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1456) ), Verrucarol

(T-2-tetraol) (_238_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M238) ,_1446_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20pag

e/MycoRefAb.htm#M1446) ,_1456_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/MycoRefAb.htm#M1456) ).

PATHOGENICITY IN HUMANS

Mycotoxin-caused pulmonary hemorrhage/hemosiderosis in infants(_1459_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/M

ain%20page/PathRefAb.htm#P1459) ,_1460_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/PathRefAb.htm#P1460

) ), dermatitis, cough, rhinitis, itching or burning sensation in mouth,

throat, nasal passages and eyes(_1461_

(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Microbiology/mainweb/aiaq/FungalReferenceGuide/withfr\

ames/Main%20page/PathRefAb.htm#P1461) ).

Stachybotris is well known as one of the worst molds to be exposed to. As a

victim of workplace mold in two schools, disabled from these exposures, and as

the director of an organization that is devoted to protecting others from

being sickened by mold, I ask that you clarify these areas for your readers and

for those who contemplate entering that building.

Sincerely,

Brinchman

Founder/Executive Director, The Center for School Mold Help

_www.schoolmoldhelp.org _ (http://www.schoolmoldhelp.org )

_sbrinchman@..._ (mailto:director@...)

9120 Jonell Ct.

La Mesa, CA 91942-3638

616-463-0249

September 18, 2004