Re: Re: new document from CDC concerning mold and Hurricanes

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/26/2005 5:16:45 AM Pacific Standard Time,

kathywnb@... writes:

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/mold/report/

Hi Kathy,

I have MANY comments to make about the shortcomings of this document. There

is quite a bit of double speak in this " let's warn the public, but not

really " doc. Once again, the CDC is putting the concerns of the financial

liability of stakeholder industries involved in toxic torts over genuine

concern for

the safety of the public.

In order to respond to this document, I am going to have to go into Adobe

Acrobat, make a new PDF file, and comment from there.

Where is this document going, anyway?

What sort of effort is the CDC making to train the physicians of the

atypical symptoms that many who have been exposed to mold and toxins exhibit?

Sharon

[Guest guest]

I'm not sure how you arrived at that. The way I see it is that It is listed

under the category of emergency preparedness and response. Bioterrorism appears

to be just a part of that category too.

pushcrash <pushcrash@...> wrote:I find it interesting that this was posted

on the Bioterrorism server

at CDC.

>

> In a message dated 10/25/2005 10:02:17 AM Pacific Standard Time,

> kathywnb@y... writes:

>

> http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/

>

>

> Kathy,

>

> Thank you for the above link. However it merely points one to the

CDC

> website of various info regarding mold in the wake of Katrina. Can

you point me

> directly to where it discusses the KNOWN serious health effects of

mold

> toxins? Or to where it provided a warning to the public of this

info? I don't seem

> to be able to find that.

>

> Thank you,

> Sharon Kramer

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I agree.

[Guest guest]

I haven't had a chance to read the entire document yet, just skimmed it. I just

found it accidently by surfing for something else when I couldn't sleep the

other night. Much of the time I am pretty nonfunctional and am able to " surf

the net " but it takes a while for me to assimilate the information. I do think

from what I have read that they are at least admitting there may be a problem.

There are some contradictory statements especially about toxic mold. But there

are several pages that talk about using protective masks when remediating and

even show picutres of people in masks and protective suits. I do think we need

to be careful when responding to this. We need to emphsize the things that they

are saying as probable or even possible as well as the shortcomings, which I

agree are many. I think this just came out Oct. 24th so it probably hasn't

been circulated much. I'll comment on it further when I've had a chance to

read it thoroughly.

Have you downloaded the book: Damp Indoor Spaces and Health written by the

National Accademies Press at:

http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091934/html

There are around 60 pages on mycotoxins and 13 pages of references. The

specific pages are 125-182. . Page 126 says: " Some molds found in damp

indoor spaces can produce mycotoxins. " At the bottom of page 130 it says

" Because inhalation appears to be an important route of exposure for humans....

...

Some of the studies that have been conducted indicate that acute inhalation

exposure, at least of some toxicants, is at least as toxic as exposure by

intravenous injection and is more toxic than ingestions or parenteral exposure. "

I had to download one page at a time. The CDC commissioned the study.

They do state in this latest document In their executive summary " Where

uncertainties in our scientific knowledge exist, we focus on practical

applications that are designed to be protective of people's health. "

I think that we need to emphasize those kind of statements as well.

snk1955@... wrote:

In a message dated 10/26/2005 5:16:45 AM Pacific Standard Time,

kathywnb@... writes:

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/mold/report/

Hi Kathy,

I have MANY comments to make about the shortcomings of this document. There

is quite a bit of double speak in this " let's warn the public, but not

really " doc. Once again, the CDC is putting the concerns of the financial

liability of stakeholder industries involved in toxic torts over genuine

concern for

the safety of the public.

In order to respond to this document, I am going to have to go into Adobe

Acrobat, make a new PDF file, and comment from there.

Where is this document going, anyway?

What sort of effort is the CDC making to train the physicians of the

atypical symptoms that many who have been exposed to mold and toxins exhibit?

Sharon

[Guest guest]

They do state in this latest document In their executive summary " Where

uncertainties in our scientific knowledge exist, we focus on practical

applications that are designed to be protective of people's health. "

Hi Kathy,

I checked out your link to Damp Indoor Spaces and Health. Thanks for the

inspiration.

Thought you all might be interested in this. “to generate organized

community effort to address the public interest in health by applying

scientific and

technical knowledge to prevent disease and promote health†(IOM, 1988)

The committee concludes, on the basis of this information and other findings

presented in Chapters _2_

(http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091934/html/29.html#p2000aee79970029001) through

_6_

(http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091934/html/270.html#p2000aee79970270001) , that

excessive indoor dampness is a public

health problem.

1988, an organized community effort; you've got to be kidding. That was 17

years ago. It's worth check out this link. In litigation the defense uses

this stuff against plaintiffs, let's try and turn the tables around.

Damp Indoor Spaces and Health (2004)

7

The Public Health Response

http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091934/html/311.html

Studies reviewed in this report indicate that:

· Dampness is prevalent in residential housing in a wide array of

climates (_Chapter 2_

(http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091934/html/29.html#p2000aee79970029001) );

· Sufficient evidence of an association exists between signs of

dampness and upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, wheeze, and asthma

symptoms

in sensitized persons (_Chapter 5_

(http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091934/html/183.html#p2000aee79970183001) );

· Sufficient evidence of an association exists between signs of mold

and upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, wheeze, asthma symptoms in

sensitized persons and hypersensitivity pneumonitis in susceptible persons

(_Chapter 5_

(http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091934/html/183.html#p2000aee79970183001)

).

The committee concludes, on the basis of this information and other findings

presented in Chapters _2_

(http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091934/html/29.html#p2000aee79970029001) through

_6_

(http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091934/html/270.html#p2000aee79970270001) , that

excessive indoor dampness is a public

health problem.

This chapter draws together findings and recommendations presented in

earlier parts of the report and places them in the context of the mission of

public

health to “[fulfill] society’s interest in assuring conditions in which

people can be healthy†and its aim “to generate organized community effort

to

address the public interest in health by applying scientific and technical

knowledge to prevent disease and promote health†(IOM, 1988). It addresses

the

public health interest in housing, barriers to the adoption of dampness

prevention and reduction measures, and public health approaches to addressing

the

problems created by damp indoor environments