Re:Hospital's making me sick

[Guest guest]

I also worked in a moldy hospital. It flooded twice during tropical storms.

I believe that Administration knows there is a problem but is keeping it a

secret. I think it is very common in hospitals, at least that is what my

Toxicologist says, as he has treated many MD's & hospital personnel. I

recommend you find another job before it kills you. I quit and found another

job as soon as I figured out that was why me & so many of my coworkers were ill

and some have died.

I have tried to get the hospital to let me see copies of air quality testing,

but they refused. It seems like that should be available upon request since our

health is in their hands.

[Guest guest]

I also worked in a Hospital I had a double dose! of " Sick Building "

and then some! Many of my Co-Workers who worked in and around an area

of a large amount of MOULD died. After the MOULD was discovered and

the part of the infected wall was replaced, even more people died!

After I became sick and disabled and went in search of a cause, I

discovered MOULD, as something that could cause illness. Well no

wonder I kept having continuous joint pain and body aches....severe

flu-like symptoms and my lungs felt as if they were on fire! I

suffered along whith everyone else and most likely nobody knew or

thought of " sickbuilding "

When I inquired about any testing on the MOULD and was told, " What

MOULD? and if there was MOULD, it was caused by a plant, or some

other cause, but not by water damage! I had a Co-Worker do a Tape

Lift of the floor and the part of the wall that had not been

replaced, about an inch away from the part that had been cut out and

replaced. An Environmental Lab did the analysis and called me at home

immediately with a result. The gentlemans voice was much with concern

as he told me of this MOULD. He said it was a very dangerous type of

MOULD. He told me of friends in the Constuction Field had died as a

result of exposure. The Mold he reported was Chaetomium...a

Trichothecene/ T-2 producing type.

My Dept. had monthly birthday celebrations in this room...Pot-Lucks.

Birthday Cakes, Punch, Soda, and WOW! I bet quite a few spores went

flying as the free standing cabinet was leaned up against. Spores

inhaled as we spoke! Spores swallowed as we talked! Spores swallowed

as we ate! Spores being taken home and shared possibly by consuming

the left-overs...as I certainly know the Ladies in the Dept.

would " divy " up what was left. One of the Ladies sons mysteriously

came down with a case of Guillome-Barre'Syndrome. I have read where

it is thought that diabetes may even be linked to the Toxins. Hmmm

our Assist. Admin. passed out in her bathroom and was diagnosed with

Diabetes.... Another Lady Thyroid Cancer. Another Lady Liver

and Pancreatic Cancer. I recall one afternoon as I came from the

restroom (adjacent to our Work-room/Patient examroom/ Pot-luck room),

my Co-Worker said I was white as a ghost! No doubt...I told him

why... It seems I was bleeding internally and had just passed a Large

amount of blood he said he had been doing the same thing. Not one of

us ever knew the term " Sick Building "

My Dept. was relocated to a " New Building " . A 4 floor Medical Office

Building that was the first built, and is now part of the New Regional

Medical Center. I didn't become disabled until spending 17 mos. in

our new building. Not only did I learn Mould can make a person

sick....I also learned my Employer had built their New Medical Center

on a highly contaminated " SUPERFUND " Site! Well no wonder the plants

wouldn't grow at the entrance to our New Building! Anyone interested,

can view on google map ariel view at 12214 Lakewood Blvd. Downey, CA

90242.... thats just a general address of the 160 acre contaminated

area.... there is a 3000 lb herbicide underground tank that they

didn't locate...I guess they said, " Oh Well " and

they went ahead and built over it. The News about this Site is now

VERY PUBLIC ....at (downey.kaiserpapers.info) I just thought I'd

share ...

Oh and I found some interesting FACTS from the WHO dated 2001

220 * Public health response to biological and chemical weapons—WHO

guidance

2.3 Aflatoxins and other fungal toxins

Before the 1960s, there was little systematic attention to fungal

toxins as

important causes of illness; the literature has developed mostly

since the

conclusion of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. It is now

well

known that some fungi produce a single toxin, others may produce many,

and different fungal genera may produce the same mycotoxin. Many

genera, including Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Claviceps,

Fusarium and Penicillium produce mycotoxins. While the evidence

indicates that ingestion of mouldy fodder is the primary route to

animal

mycotoxicoses, airborne fungal spores and infested/infected plant

particulates may also induce disease leading to death in both animals

and

humans (18). The weapons potential of such airborne toxins has not

been disregarded, although, in the 1992 returns of information under

the

BWC confidence-building measures in which the Russian Federation

declared offensive biological research and development programmes

during the period since 1946, it is stated that " in the opinion of the

experts,

mycotoxins have no military significance " (19

Nevertheless, two categories of mycotoxin have been considered as

warfare agents, namely the aflatoxins and the trichothecenes, and will

be considered briefly here. The United Nations Special Commission

(UNSCOM) on Iraq mentioned weaponization of an aflatoxin in its

synoptic report of January 1999, stating that the " question remains

open regarding the aims and reasons of the choice of aflatoxin as an

agent " . However, it went on to report that one Iraqi document " refers

to military requirements to produce liver cancer using aflatoxin and

the

efficacy against military and civilian targets " (20). The

trichothecenes

were the subject of allegations of weapons use ( " yellow rain " ) in

Cambodia and the Lao People's Democratic Republic during 1975–1984

that have since been discredited (21).

Aflatoxicosis in humans is associated with the consumption of

aflatoxin

from food contaminated with the mould Aspergillus flavus. A number

of aflatoxins with a range of potency (B1 > G1 > B2 > G2) are

produced

by Aspergillus, the relative proportions depending on the species of

mould. Jaundice, fever, ascites, oedema of the feet, and vomiting are

the symptoms associated with aflatoxicosis. In 397 patients estimated

to have consumed 2–6 mg aflatoxin daily for a month, 106 fatalities

occurred. Fatalities also followed estimated intakes of 12 mg/kg of

aflatoxin B1. Five-year follow-up of survivors of acute poisoning

(including liver biopsies) showed almost complete recovery. The

principal concern with aflatoxin (particularly B1) is the possibility

of

liver

cancer associated with the chronic consumption of mouldy food.

Aflatoxin chemistry and metabolism are well described. Aflatoxin B1 is

metabolized to a range of metabolites by microsomal systems. The

active metabolite is presumed to be aflatoxin B1 8-9 epoxide.

Inactivation

is dependent on glutathione conjugation, with susceptibility to acute

intoxication dependent on the activity of the enzyme

glutathione-Stransferase.

The B1 epoxide binds covalently to a range of proteins that have both

structural and enzymic functions. Protein phosphorylation isalso

altered by

aflatoxin B1. All aflatoxins are genotoxic (22, 23).

Trichothecene mycotoxins are a group of structurally related toxins

produced by the Fusarium fungi found on many crops, and also by

other mould genera such as Stachybotrys. They are sesquiterpinoids

of low molecular weight, in the range 250–550 Da. Two of the better

known toxins are T-2 and deoxynivalenol (or vomitoxin). Symptoms

caused by the toxins are wide-ranging and include vomiting, diarrhoea,

ataxia and haemorrhaging. The toxins are immunosuppressants and

inhibit protein synthesis at the ribosomal level. They bind to the 60S

subunit of eukaryotic ribosomes, altering peptidyl transferase

activity.

Inhibition of enzyme activity depends on toxin structure, and results

in the failure either of polypeptide chain initiation or elongation.

Toxicity

of the toxins in in vitro test systems varies by as much as four

orders

of magnitude (24).

In animals, the toxicity of T-2 is markedly species-dependent.

Vomiting

is induced in cats at 0.1–0.2 mg/kg after oral dosing. Guinea-pigs are

unaffected at 0.75 mg/kg per day in the diet, but develop irritation

and

ulceration of the gut at 2.5 mg/kg per day. Immunosuppression is

observed in rhesus monkeys at 0.5 mg/kgand in mice at 20 mg/kg. The

LD50 in mice following intraperitoneal administration is reported to

be 5.2 mg/kg. The toxicity of the trichothecenes in comparison with

other

toxins is therefore relatively low. They are, however, unusual among

toxins in their ability to damage the skin, causing skin pain,

pruritis,

vesicles, necrosis and sloughing of epidermis.

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives assessed the

safety of aflatoxins and trichothecenes in food at its 56th meeting in

February 2001

>

> I also worked in a moldy hospital. It flooded twice during tropical

storms.

> I believe that Administration knows there is a problem but is

keeping it a secret. I think it is very common in hospitals, at

least that is what my Toxicologist says, as he has treated many MD's

& hospital personnel. I recommend you find another job before it

kills you. I quit and found another job as soon as I figured out

that was why me & so many of my coworkers were ill and some have

died.

>

> I have tried to get the hospital to let me see copies of air

quality testing, but they refused. It seems like that should be

available upon request since our health is in their hands.

>

[Guest guest]

Did you read this?

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL0383329520080603

llaci