Breaking the mold Spores left unchecked can cause illness

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Breaking the mold

Spores left unchecked can cause illness

Clarion Ledger - ,MS*

Howle • Special to The Clarion-Ledger • October 21, 2008

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20081021/HEALTH/810210346/1242/h

ealth

Tommy Riley of Seminary moved into a new top-of-the-line, double-

wide trailer in July 1998. Nestled on 111 acres, it was as nice as

some homes, he thought, a perfect fit to learn the lay of the land

before building a permanent home.

Within the first six months of living there, the self-employed used-

equipment salesman and his family began having upper respiratory

problems, coughing and laryngitis. Four years later, his 7- year-old

nephew fell in the hall, leaving a sinking hand print on the wall.

After searching their home, they found mold dots sprinkled

throughout in the top of closets, and their battle with serious mold

was just beginning.

Mold reactions can range from mild to life-threatening, according to

Straus, professor of microbiology and immunology at Texas Tech

University.

" How large a problem it is depends on what type of organism it is

(there are 100,000 species), the amount of mold growing indoors and

the susceptibility of the people living in the house, " said Straus,

who conducts extensive mold research.

If there's mold growing in grout, it's not a problem. If you have

several square feet growing on a wall, it's a serious problem Straus

said. " Mycotoxins are poisons produced by mold for reasons we don't

understand. "

More than 20 installation/manufacturing problems were identified

through professional inspections of Riley's mobile home. In 2002, he

and his family evacuated because of ongoing mold symptoms. His

attorney recommended he see a physician in land specializing in

mold toxicity.

They traveled to land in 2007 for a diagnosis and received

treatment. Riley believes they need to return for additional

treatment to reverse his short-term memory loss, but expense is a

major deterrent.

" With the mobile home industry, structure and installation is a

problem. Builders are in a hurry; things get in a hurry. Who wants

to step up to the plate and fix this? It will be expensive to fix.

Medical issues are expensive. Environmental cleanup is expensive, "

Riley said.

His problems are not across the board with mobile homes.

" We have a very regulated industry, " said Hall, executive

director of the Mississippi Manufactured Housing Association. " HUD

sets the guidelines for how homes are built, set up and sold. "

In her 14 years as director, she has never had a mold complaint,

Hall says.

Mississippi families live in more than 500,000 manufactured houses.

Hall said all mobile homes in Mississippi should be installed by a

licensed installer. Improper site preparation - where land wasn't

leveled resulting in moisture accumulation under homes - could lead

to problems.

HUD increased installation standards that went into effect Monday

for houses built across the nation. Hall said Mississippi already

was installing homes at those standards.

Also, the 2008 Legislature passed a law to require inspections by

the state fire marshal's office of all new and used manufactured

houses after purchase. The inspections were done at random before,

Hall said.

Riley has met many with similar problems through a Web site he

developed to help others with similar mold issues.

" A lot of people have nowhere to go. It's the only home they will

ever own. We are worried about others not being treated. They can't

afford to leave and can't afford to be treated. They don't know what

to do. "

If you have indoor mold, find and repair the moisture source. Remove

the mold and replace damaged materials with clean building

materials, microbiologist Straus recommended. " If it is 100 square

feet of mold, get an expert to come in and handle it. "

Moisture control is paramount in controlling mold. The Environmental

Protection Agency stresses drying water-damaged areas and items

within 24 to 48 hours if possible.

Mold also can be found on the back of drywall, wallpaper, paneling

or on the top of ceiling tiles. If you are suspicious of hidden

mold, the EPA recommends hiring an experienced professional.

Virginia Hollingsworth, a fourth-grade teacher in Oxford, graduated

with honors from Murrah High School in 2002. She was involved in

many community service projects and enjoyed her Murrah years. Yet

from 1998 to graduation, she was plagued with ongoing allergic

reactions from the mold there, she said.

Allergic reactions rank sixth as the leading cause of chronic

disease in the United States costing health care $18 billion dollars

annually according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

" Visible mold would collect on the air conditioning units in the

ceiling. It blew, and mold was there constantly. We would come back

from summer break and walls in one classroom would be covered with

green mold. They'd wash it down every year. ... Murrah had leaks, "

Hollingsworth said.

According to Fred , director of facilities at Public

Schools, there was a complaint about Murrah and an environmental

professional tested the air quality within the last two years. No

evidence of mold in the air, building or ductwork was found.

Molds are fungi that thrive in moisture, releasing invisible spores

that can contain allergens and toxins called mycotoxins. Allergic

reactions happen when the immune system overreacts to breathing in

allergens, according to Dr. Tanaka, associate professor of

allergy, asthma and immunology at the University of Mississippi

Medical Center.

Mold also may trigger asthma attacks in an asthmatic person,

according to Tanaka.

" Asthma and allergies are interrelated, " Tanaka said. Mold allergies

are year-round in the South, where deep freezes are uncommon and

spores stay alive and thrive in the humidity.

Symptoms include sneezing, watery eyes, itchy nose, post-nasal drip

and, for the asthmatic, shortness of breath. Left untreated, more

serious conditions such as an allergic fungal sinusitis (fungal ball

in the sinuses) and a fungal infection of the lungs can develop,

Tanaka said.

Hollingsworth took daily allergy medications and had immunotherapy

injections.

" If you see mold, you should not ignore it, " researcher Straus

said, " and it will not go away on its own. Use your head and fix it. "