Re: STUDY FINDS MOLD EXPOSURE ONLY HAZARDOUS ...

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/9/2005 11:54:14 AM Pacific Standard Time,

myhaze@... writes:

I'm sure I'm not telling anyone here anything new, but this is a blatant

lie:

" Mold can cause disease in someone with an abnormal immune system, but mold

doesn't create the abnormality. "

Dr. Gailen Marshall, allergist, University of Mississippi Medical Center

And I don't see any information about mycotoxins and THEIR damage,

especially in the wake of CDC warning about the lethality of tricothecene

mycotoxins.

Even folks who know about mold act as if the only people in danger are those

with organ transplants or AIDS. There are plenty of articles out there

talking about the weakening of immune systems, and I can only imagine this guy

has got to be either in serious denial for his level of expertise or

misrepresenting facts.

You don't see anything about mycotoxins because Dr. Marshall is an

ALLERGIST. He is only qualified to comment on immunological. Mycotoxins cause

a

toxic reaction - poison. This is out of the realm of an allergist's expertise.

Did you happen to click on the Stress on Immunology Study that is linked to

this Clarion Ledger Report?

Here it is:

October 9, 2005

Study looks at effects of stress on immunity

Distress disorders may make many susceptible to mold, dust, other allergens

By Goodman

_jgoodman@..._ (mailto:jgoodman@...)

Dr. Gailen Marshall, an allergist at the University of Mississippi Medical

Center, is heading a study on Hurricane Katrina victims, looking at the

relationship between psychological stress, the immune system and mold.

The study includes about 60 participants who have suffered some kind of loss

or inconvenience as a result of the storm, and are dealing with their stress

in different ways.

It will look at those who develop distress disorders that may lead to chronic

changes in their immune systems and make them more susceptible to the

effects of molds, dust and other allergens in excess in coastal communities

now.

Ultimately, the study will focus on the development of allergic and asthmatic

disease. Allergy is a known risk factor for developing asthma.

" The horror of Katrina is that it came in and wiped out air conditioning

right at the beginning of the fall allergy season with ragweed, " Marshall said.

As mold cells grow, they release tiny spores into the air. These spores don't

pose a problem for healthy people, but, according to the Centers for Disease

Control, some people with preexisting respiratory conditions are especially

sensitive to them.

" So there's a whole mess of people down there that are being exposed to

ragweed on a chronic basis that have never been exposed to it before because

they

could go inside and get away from it. "

Researchers are studying men and women of different ages, races and social

classes to see if there is a group they can identify that is particularly at

risk. The goal is to develop interventions so residents can keep from getting

sick when the next hurricane strikes.

" What are the factors that are going to help us predict who's at greatest

risk? Well, we don't the answer to that yet, " he said.

The pilot study for the research is being funded by UMC, but Marshall hopes

to receive funding from the National Institutes of Health for the remainder of

the five-year project, which he says will cost $1.5 million.

[Guest guest]

I'm sure I'm not telling anyone here anything new, but this is a blatant lie:

" Mold can cause disease in someone with an abnormal immune system, but mold

doesn't create the abnormality. "

Dr. Gailen Marshall, allergist, University of

Mississippi Medical Center

And I don't see any information about mycotoxins and THEIR damage, especially in

the wake of CDC warning about the lethality of tricothecene mycotoxins. Even

folks who know about mold act as if the only people in danger are those with

organ transplants or AIDS. There are plenty of articles out there talking about

the weakening of immune systems, and I can only imagine this guy has got to be

either in serious denial for his level of expertise or misrepresenting facts.

Molds have three potential dangers 1) allergy; 2)irritation; 3) poisoning (from

mycotoxins). Allergies probably won't kill people, irritation can weaken organs

or systems, but also probably won't kill people directly, but mycotoxins are a

different matter entirely from my limited research - of course only a handful of

molds produce mycotoxins, but if Stachyborys is running rampant, it is a real

concern.

Other than the classic fast-spreading diseases like smallpox, as understand it,

bio-weapon research is primarily about the ability to deliver mycotoxins because

of how lethal they can be. Despite historical references to mass mortality due

to the effects of bad weather, publicly available DOD literature denies that

anyone has ever proved that mycotoxins have caused a human death - and yet the

CDC put out a warning this year seemingly as part of their homeland security

efforts.

-Haley

snk1955@... wrote:

Thank you. Compare this story from today's Clarian Ledger against

my " spoof " . They are allowing these people to return to Level IV Contaminated

Environments, but Governors' children are move out! Note the reference at

the bottom to " stress causing immunological problems " . Gee, do you think they

are going to say stress is the underlying cause of all this illness? We

should all go buy stock in Prozac!

October 9, 2005

Unwelcome guest moves in as Gulf Coast dries out

By Goodman

_jgoodman@..._ (mailto:jgoodman@...)

Joe Ellis/The Clarion-Ledger

Hawthorne talks about the black mold that has begun to appear in her

Gulfport home in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Sections of Hawthorne's

roof were completely removed by the storm's high winds, allowing water from

the storm surge and rain to flow freely into the house.

Mold's effect on health

Molds can cause allergic reactions, fungal infections and other health

problems. Most people will have no reaction when exposed to molds. But

underlying

health conditions increase the sensitivity to mold exposure. Health effects

can include:

Allergic reactions

Rhinitis or sinusitis: Similar to hay fever or the common cold. Symptoms

include a runny nose, nasal or sinus congestion, irritated eyes, scratchy

throat, and cough. Reactions occur quickly after exposure to molds.

Dermatitis: Symptoms include red itchy skin and/or rash.

Other: Reported symptoms include fatigue, headache, fever, muscle ache,

difficulty concentrating and mood changes. The cause of these symptoms is not

completely understood.

Asthma: Symptoms include acute attacks of coughing, wheezing, and shortness

of breath. Reactions usually occur within minutes. May repeat 6-10 hours

later.

GULFPORT — Hawthorne, 48, who lives with her son and three

grandchildren in her Gulfport home, has struggled to tend to debris, roof

damage and

water-soaked carpeting left by Hurricane Katrina.

But once the mess was contained, another horror emerged: black and white

mold that is slowly working its way from her floors and baseboards up the

walls.

The stench is stifling.

" I just couldn't do nothing but cry, I was so upset, " said Hawthorne, whose

family now lives on the property in two travel trailers provided by the

Federal Emergency Management Agency.

" It freaked me out. I kind of got nervous because I never knew what black

mold was. "

In the aftermath of Katrina, Hawthorne and other residents around the

Mississippi Gulf Coast are discovering the nasty manifestations of mold, which

has

appeared as green, white and black spots on their walls, furniture and

refrigerators in homes with little ventilation. Mold reproduces by way of tiny

spores and begins growing indoors when the spores land on wet surfaces. And the

homes Katrina left standing have plenty of those.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, controlling moisture and

eliminating mold growth can help contain potential damage to health and

property. The agency recommends scrubbing mold off hard surfaces with detergent

and

water, and drying completely for small moldy areas in the home.

Some homeowners struck by the storm surge have been told they need to strip

their homes down to the wooden frame and yank out their carpeting for a

thorough drying out.

Residents with asthma, organ transplants and emphysema are struggling with

the growth more than others, describing coughing, irritated throats, dry mouths

and trouble breathing. Many have launched into frenzied cleaning with bleach

and water, trying to rid their homes of the mold while not knowing what, if

any, dangers they face.

But Dr. Gailen Marshall, an allergist at the University of Mississippi

Medical Center, cautions residents not to overreact.

While mold can pose significant health risks to those with seriously

compromised immune systems, it does not generally threaten healthy individuals.

Mold

can cause disease in someone with an abnormal immune system, but mold

doesn't create the abnormality.

People with healthy immune systems can develop allergies with prolonged

exposure to mold, also. " An allergy doesn't kill people but it certainly can

make

them miserable and dramatically compromise their quality of life, " Marshall

said.

Hawthorne, who, along with her grandson, is asthmatic, complains of a dry

mouth, and says her heart starts beating more quickly when she's around the

mold. She dons a mask whenever she works in the house, which is mainly to wash

her grandchildren's clothes.

" Once you open the door, it hits you in the face, " she said. " I've just been

coughing and coughing, like something wants to cut my wind off. "

The mold is prevalent around the bottom of her granddaughter's room, where

white and black spots have taken over the bottom half of the bedroom walls.

Talk of the so-called " black mold " is ubiquitous on the Coast. Stachybotrys

chartarum, as it's scientifically known, is the classic black mold. Another

type is Aspergillus, which can lead to an asthmatic condition that causes

scarring in the lungs.

But that condition is life threatening in less than 5 percent of the cases,

Marshall said.

" A sense of concern is appropriate, a sense of urgency and panic is not

appropriate, " he said.

Marshall warns those cleaning their homes of mold to be wary of exposure to

cleaning products in the zeal to scrub, as he has seen patients with lung

damage under those circumstances. Cleaning should be done in well-ventilated

areas, and he recommends purchasing a humidifier to help with the air quality.

Residents struggle to describe the smell that has taken over their homes.

" It just seems like an old, nasty smell, I guess, " said Mires, 26, a

kidney transplant recipient on anti-rejection medication.

He lives with his mother in a Gulfport apartment complex with water-soaked

carpeting and says he's gotten so used to the stench, he doesn't always notice

it.

The property owner says he plans to pull up the carpeting in the units but is

still trying to repair roofs taken off by the storm.

Nearby, 42-year-old Regina Magee, who has emphysema, walks around her

mold-infested home with a breathing tube and an oxygen tank.

Her breathing problems have been exacerbated since Katrina, and professional

carpet cleaners told her the only thing she could do is pull up carpeting.

Her son had to wash her walls, and there is still black mold around her

closet baseboard. She also complains of a phantom stench in her refrigerator she

likens to cabbage. It returns despite periodic scrubbing and having emptied

the refrigerator of all food after the storm.

She takes a baby photograph of her niece off her hallway wall and points to

the mold growth on the back.

" I didn't want to throw my frame away. I know it's stupid, putting it back

up, " she said, as she hanged the picture back on the wall.

Related Articles:

_Study looks at effects of stress on immunity_

(http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051009/NEWS0110/51009\

039/1260)

_In Brief_

(http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051009/NEWS0110/51009\

041/1260)

October 8, 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 concern for their safety from the exposure to molds and

other toxic substances, 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 the National Insurance Affiliation,

average citizens complaining of mold illnesses are just 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

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.

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 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.

Although the study was massive in the number of government officials

observed to have required extensive mold remediation for the protection of their

families, including W. Bush, 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 they and their families’ health.

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

officials mold susceptiblity are fictious. All other information including

direct

quotes are real.

_Household Mold: Health Issues Regarding Mold _

(Clorox%20Corp%20on%20Mold%20Illness.pdf)

(Clorox%20Corp%20on%20Mold%20Illness.pdf) _Guidance For Clinicians

Regarding Mold Illnesses_

(Guidance%20for%20Clinicians%20on%20Mold%20Exposure.pdf)

[Guest guest]

>

> I'm sure I'm not telling anyone here anything new, but this is a blatant lie:

>

> " Mold can cause disease in someone with an abnormal immune system, but mold

doesn't create the abnormality. "

> Dr. Gailen Marshall, allergist, University of

Mississippi Medical Center

>

>

>

> " And I don't see any information about mycotoxins and THEIR damage, especially

in the

wake of CDC warning about the lethality of tricothecene mycotoxins. Even folks

who know

about mold act as if the only people in danger are those with organ transplants

or AIDS.

There are plenty of articles out there talking about the weakening of immune

systems, and

I can only imagine this guy has got to be either in serious denial for his level

of expertise

or misrepresenting facts. "

It sounds like he doesn't really have any grasp of the problem.

>

>

>

> Molds have three potential dangers 1) allergy; 2)irritation; 3) poisoning

(from

mycotoxins). Allergies probably won't kill people, irritation can weaken organs

or

systems, but also probably won't kill people directly, but mycotoxins are a

different matter

entirely from my limited research - of course only a handful of molds produce

mycotoxins,

but if Stachyborys is running rampant, it is a real concern.

>

Excuse me for contradicting you, but I must. My allergies to mold WERE killing

me,

literally, by closing my throat and causing anaphylactoid reactions.

Also, the people that worked in my basement all got a " cold " from working down

in it, and

all of them got neurological effects after a short period of time. This was

before I knew

anything about mold, except that I was allergic to it, along with pollens, etc.

The doc I found told me they were sick with typical mold symptoms.

>

>

> Other than the classic fast-spreading diseases like smallpox, as understand

it, bio-

weapon research is primarily about the ability to deliver mycotoxins because of

how lethal

they can be. Despite historical references to mass mortality due to the effects

of bad

weather, publicly available DOD literature denies that anyone has ever proved

that

mycotoxins have caused a human death - and yet the CDC put out a warning this

year

seemingly as part of their homeland security efforts.