Re: Fwd: STUDY FINDS TOXIC MOLD, support for Sharon

[Guest guest]

What a great idea!! I'll be happy to forward it! What about Larry King,

Bill O'Reilly, Boston Globe, etc.

Sue

[Guest guest]

Love it Sue, great idea. What about the reporter we sent our stories to at

the Boston Globe. Maybe it would be a good idea for us to copy the names of

reporters from the articles KC lists. Then we have a name and lots of times

they list their e-mail address at the bottom of each story.

In a message dated 10/10/2005 6:13:16 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

ssr3351@... writes:

What a great idea!! I'll be happy to forward it! What about Larry King,

Bill O'Reilly, Boston Globe, etc.

Sue

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Guest guest]

,

Terrific! I'll go back and see if I can find some of the contacts. Forward

me Sharon's letter the way you forwarded it.

Thanks,

Sue

[Guest guest]

Judi,

I totally agree that it can't hurt to write or call. Even if only one

person takes notice that's one more than yesterday!! I just sent it to my local

paper and plan to send it to our local TV stations.

Sue

[Guest guest]

When I first saw the article Sharon wrote, I was

struck by how great it would be to send to the media.

I sent a few copies, one to MSNBC, Oberman, for

one. The mix of the truth and humor is great!

Can we do more to get organized and get this going?

It can't hurt, and nothing else seems to be getting

any attention. They just write us off as some kind of

" mold freaks. " Judi

--- davisnewstart@... wrote:

>

> Love it Sue, great idea. What about the reporter we

> sent our stories to at

> the Boston Globe. Maybe it would be a good idea

> for us to copy the names of

> reporters from the articles KC lists. Then we have

> a name and lots of times

> they list their e-mail address at the bottom of

> each story.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> In a message dated 10/10/2005 6:13:16 P.M. Eastern

> Standard Time,

> ssr3351@... writes:

>

> What a great idea!! I'll be happy to forward it!

> What about Larry King,

> Bill O'Reilly, Boston Globe, etc.

>

> Sue

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, you guys! Glad you liked it. If we can get somebody to listen that

would be great!!!

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I edited it a little bit to add how Ole Miss (which is my alma mater!) is

doing a study to see if stress increases mold illness:

" Through the University of Mississippi, additional research is underway to

determine if stress from Katrina plays any role in increasing the impact of

mold on the average citizen. It is unclear if the focus of this research is

the stress from Katrina itself, or the stress of having the medical community

and government health agencies not acknowledge and treat the physiological

impacts of mold toxin exposure. Either way, precriptions of antidepressant

medications for average citizens are anticipated to rise. Antifungals are

thought

to remain stable. "

The links don't work on . Will email you off board so the

links to the Clinician's Guide and Tilex's warning of memory loss can be

forwarded. Here is the whole thing. Added CDC at the end:

October 11, 2005

SPOOF REPORTING

By Sharon Kramer

STUDY FINDS MOLD MAY ONLY BE HAZARDOUS TO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND THEIR

FAMILIES

As if government officials did not have enough to worry about in these days

of allegations of rampant corruption, a new study finds they may be more

susceptible to ‘toxic mold’ exposure than their constituents.

While the average citizens of New Orleans are being encouraged to return to

the city with little warning of potential health hazards from breathing mold

and the toxins they produce, Governor Kathleen Blanco has been residing

outside of the Govorner’s mansion. The mansion has been undergoing an

$800,000

renovation, $500,000 of which is for mold removal.

In 2003, Brown, who leads the consumer protection division for Kansas

State Atty. Gen. Phill Kline, sued Kansas Republican Party Chairman Tim

Shallenburger over the home Brown purchased from Shallenburger, which was

reported

to have mold. Brown said things started falling apart in the house and that

his children became ill because of mold.

Mr. Brown has not taken any known stance in the state of Kansas to assist

numerous average citizens claiming difficulty from mold. This would support

the current scientific evidence frequently used in mold litigation. Mold is

only dangerous for government officials and their families. As further evidence

of this phenomenon and according to a survey conducted by the National

Insurance Affiliation, 99.9% of average citizens complaining of mold illnesses

are

reported to be liars and whiners.

After a $5.6 million dollar renovation of the South Carolina Governors

Mansion three years earlier, First Lady Sanford said stachybotrys was

causing health problems with her family. Stachybotrys is a known toxin

producing

mold. According to Mike Sponhour, spokesman for the South Carolina State

Budget and Control Board which oversees maintenance on the building, “We

understand the concern the first lady has for the health of her family and

children.

We take that very seriously. We’re committed to doing everything we can to

fix the problem and make sure it doesn’t happen again.†Like numerous other

government officials’ families from across the US, Governor Sanford’s

family is apparently highly susceptible to mold induced illnesses.

Another government official who may suffer from susceptibility that the

average citizen does not, is North Carolina Governor Mike Easley. In August of

this year, he and his family were forced to move from the governor’s mansion

because of mold. This is the second time in four years that the 114 year old

mansion has been invaded by mold. According to Secretary of Administration

Gwynn Swinson, the governor and his family needed to clear out for health

reasons.

A study done earlier this year was able to establish average citizens as

those who may not suffer from the same mold illness susceptibility as analyzed

in the government officials’ study. Dr. Emil Bardana, President of the

American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology and prolific expert witness

in

mold litigation, examined 50 mold cases that ended up court. The study by

allergist Bardana concluded that no credible medical evidence has emerged to

link

mold exposure to the wide range of serious medical conditions associated

with toxic mold syndrome which is a poisoning, not an allergy.

Although memory and immunological complications have been reported by many

Americans who have been exposed to mold in prior flooded buildings, a WebMD

Health Alert regarding toxic mold syndrome and issued to the public in September

of this year quoted allergist Dr Bardana as saying, “We know that mold can

make people sick if they end up in the foods they eat. But there is little

evidence that inhaled environmental mold exposure can cause the serious

illnesses that are attributed to it.â€

This is a sentiment echoed by Dr. Redd of the CDC. Redd indicates

there is little evidence of toxic mold causing illnesses, except when eaten or

touched. He said, “They won't produce these toxins at all times but under

certain circumstances, like the nutrient supply is getting short or some

environmental issue, they may start producing toxins and those can be

dangerous if

they're eaten or if they're touched. There's up to now not been evidence that

airborne mold toxins have produced disease.†It is unclear if the health

advisory by the CDC spokesman regarding no known ill health from inhaling mold

toxins, applies to government officials and their families or only the public

at large.

After the implication of safety from these Health Alerts, sales of HasMat

suits that are typically worn to protect from inhaling mold during remediation

are anticipated to decline. “Gosh, who knew we could breathe that stuff in all

day long and it wouldn’t hurt us one bit besides a runny nose. I’m just

buyin’ me some gloves,†said Bubba , owner of a brand new remediation

company that provides expert advice to the citizens of New Orleans regarding

mold clean up. Mr was unable to remember the name of his new company.

Through the University of Mississippi, additional research is underway to

determine if stress from Katrina plays any role in increasing the impact of

mold on the average citizen. It is unclear if the focus of this research is the

stress from Katrina itself, or the stress of having the medical community

and government health agencies not acknowledge and treat the physiological

impacts of mold and mold toxin exposure in the public at large. Either way,

precriptions of antidepressant medications for average citizens are anticipated

to

rise. Antifungals are thought to remain stable.

Although the government officials study was massive in the number observed

to have required extensive mold remediation for the protection of their

families that average citizens did not, including W. Bush and the

Governor

of Mississippi, it was inconclusive in establishing if these government

positions made officials more susceptible to mold illnesses than their

constituents, or if their positions might actually have served to benefit the

health of

they and their families.

Bubba , the National Insurance Affiliations and a study of gov’t

officials mold susceptiblity are fictious. Other information including direct

quotes are real.

_Household Mold: Health Issues Regarding Mold _

(aoldb://mail/write/Clorox%20Corp%20on%20Mold%20Illness.pdf)

(aoldb://mail/write/Clorox%20Corp%20on%20Mold%20Illness.pdf) _Guidance For

Clinicians Regarding Mold Illnesses_

(aoldb://mail/write/Guidance%20for%20Clinicians%20on%20Mold%20Exposure.pdf)

From the Website of the Center for Disease Control:

Mold Toxins (Mycotoxins)

Molds can produce toxic substances called mycotoxins. Some mycotoxins cling

to the surface of mold spores; others may be found within spores. More than

200 mycotoxins have been identified from common molds, and many more remain

to

be identified. Some of the molds that are known to produce mycotoxins are

commonly found in moisture-damaged buildings. Exposure pathways for

mycotoxins

can include inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. Although some mycotoxins

are well known to affect humans and have been shown to be responsible for

human health effects, for many mycotoxins, little information is available.

Aflatoxin B1 is perhaps the most well known and studied mycotoxin. It can

be

produced by the molds Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus and is

one of the most potent carcinogens known. Ingestion of aflatoxin B1 can

cause

liver cancer. There is also some evidence that inhalation of aflatoxin B1

can cause lung cancer. Aflatoxin B1 has been found on contaminated grains,

peanuts, and other human and animal foodstuffs. However, Aspergillus flavus

and

Aspergillus parasiticus are not commonly found on building materials or in

indoor environments.

Much of the information on the human health effects of inhalation exposure

to mycotoxins comes from studies done in the workplace and some case studies

or case reports.* Many symptoms and human health effects attributed to

inhalation of mycotoxins have been reported including: mucous membrane

irritation,

skin rash, nausea, immune system suppression, acute or chronic liver damage,

acute or chronic central nervous system damage, endocrine effects, and

cancer.

More studies are needed to get a clear picture of the health effects related

to most mycotoxins. However, it is clearly prudent to avoid exposure to

molds and

mycotoxins.

Some molds can produce several toxins, and some molds produce mycotoxins

only

under certain environmental conditions. The presence of mold in a building

does not necessarily mean that mycotoxins are present or that they are

present

in large quantities.

[Guest guest]

I'd like a copy of this letter too. Can I get it in Word format, as an

attachment? I'll get the word out in Nebraska.

J.

snk1955@... wrote:

Thanks, you guys! Glad you liked it. If we can get somebody to listen that

would be great!!!