RE: No Comment about the CDC acknowleding death from Inhaled Mycotoxins?

[Guest guest]

Sharon, Please note the critical word "weaponized". Just like anthrax, or a host of other things developed over the ages as warfare agents. Also, this is not new. Try a search on "yellow rain" for historical examples. Curtis Redington, RSEnvironmental Quality SpecialistCity of Wichita Dept of Environmental HealthWichita KS-----Original Message-----From: iequality [mailto:iequality ]On Behalf Of snk1955@...Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 1:01 PMTo: iequality Subject: No Comment about the CDC acknowleding death from Inhaled Mycotoxins?Hey you guys,None of you had anything to say about the CDC acknowledging inhaled mycotoxins can cause death? What is going on here?How bout this?As I understand it, the paper that acknowledged the CDC was aware that inhaled mycotoxins can indeed cause death, is from March 2005. However it was just put up on their website as of Jan 18, 2006. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/trichothecene/pdf/trichothecenecasedef.pdfSomebody should really tell Dr. Redd of the CDC about this. The guy who is in charge of this issue. Because on Sept 28, 2005, while presenting a telecast meant to alert the citizen of New Orleans of the health hazards caused by mold, Dr. Redd stated, "The third category is that of toxin-mediated disease. Some molds are capable of producing toxins. 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." The presentation was entitled, "Update on Health Issues Related to Mold, Mildew and Mud in Hurricane and Flood Affected Areas" Wednesday, September 28, 2005 Tell me why it is that the CDC produced this document in March of 2005 acknowledging death from inhaled mycotoxins, but Dr. Redd was telling the public there is no evidence that airborne mold toxins have produced disease in September of 2005. Maybe death isn't caused by disease, huh? CDC Chemical EmergenciesCASE DEFINITION Trichothecene Mycotoxins Clinical description Trichothecene mycotoxins might be weaponized and dispersed through the air or mixed in food or beverages. Initially, route-specific effects are typically prominent. Dermal exposure leads to burning pain, redness, and blisters, and oral exposure leads to vomiting and diarrhea. Ocular exposure might result in blurred vision, and inhalational exposure might cause nasal irritation and cough. Systemic symptoms can develop with all routes of exposure and might include weakness, ataxia, hypotension, coagulopathy, and death (1). Laboratory criteria for diagnosis • Biologic: Selected commercial laboratories are offering immunoassays to identify trichothecenes or trichothecene-specific antibodies in human blood or urine (2, 3). However, these procedures have not been analytically validated and are not recommended. • Environmental: Detection of trichothecene mycotoxins in environmental samples, as determined by FDA. As a result of indoor air-quality investigations involving mold and potentially mold-related health effects, mycotoxin analyses of bulk environmental samples are now commercially available through environmental microbiology laboratories in the United States (4). Studies have not been done to determine the background level of trichothecenes in non-moldy homes and office buildings or nonagricultural outdoor environments. Therefore, the simple detection of trichothecenes in environmental samples does not invariably indicate an intentional contamination. Case classification • Suspected: A case in which a potentially exposed person is being evaluated by health-care workers or public health officials for poisoning by a particular chemical agent, but no specific credible threat exists. • Probable: A clinically compatible case in which a high index of suspicion (credible threat or patient history regarding location and time) exists for trichothecene mycotoxins exposure, or an epidemiologic link exists between this case and a laboratory-confirmed case. • Confirmed: A clinically compatible case in which laboratory tests of environmental samples have confirmed exposure. The case can be confirmed if laboratory testing was not performed because either a predominant amount of clinical and nonspecific laboratory evidence of a particular chemical was present or a 100% certainty of the etiology of the agent is known. Additional resources 1. Wannemacher RW Jr, Wiener SL. Trichothecene mycotoxins. In: Zajtchuk R, Bellamy RF, eds. Textbook of military medicine: medical aspects of chemical and biologic warfare. Washington, DC: Office of the Surgeon General at TMM Publications, Borden Institute, Walter Army Medical Center; 1997:655-77. 2. Croft WA, Jastromski BM, Croft AL, s HA. Clinical confirmation of trichothecene mycotoxicosis in patient urine. J Environ Biol 2002;23:301-20. 3. Vojdani A, Thrasher HD, Madison RA, Gray MR, Heuser G, AW. Antibodies to molds and satratoxin in individuals exposed in water-damaged buildings. Arch Environ Health. 2003;58:421-32. 4. Tuomi T, Reijula K, sson T, et al. Mycotoxins in crude building materials from water-damaged buildings. Appl Environ Microbiol 2000;66:1899-904. Sharon Kramer

[Guest guest]

Sharon,

Form reading the CDC document, I would assume that

" weaponized " mycotoxins and " intentional

contamination " means that the concentrations are in

much higer ranges.

Death can centainly be caused by high dose of

trichothecene. The question is that how much

mycotoxins people are being exposed to in

water-damaged indoor environemnt. I was told that

they are rarely being detected in the air. Is that

because it wasn't widely used, or the volumes of air

collected weren't high enough? Does anyone have

information on this?

Wei

Wei Tang, Ph.D.

Lab Director

QLAB

Cherry Hill, NJ

--- " Redington, Curtis "

wrote:

> Sharon,

>

> Please note the critical word " weaponized " . Just

> like anthrax, or a host of other things developed

> over the ages as warfare agents. Also, this is not

> new. Try a search on " yellow rain " for historical

> examples.

>

> Curtis Redington, RS

> Environmental Quality Specialist

> City of Wichita Dept of Environmental Health

> Wichita KS

>

> No Comment about the CDC

> acknowleding death from Inhaled Mycotoxins?

>

>

>

>

> Hey you guys,

>

> None of you had anything to say about the CDC

> acknowledging inhaled mycotoxins can cause death?

> What is going on here?

>

> How bout this?

>

> As I understand it, the paper that acknowledged the

> CDC was aware that inhaled mycotoxins can indeed

> cause death, is from March 2005. However it was just

> put up on their website as of Jan 18, 2006.

>

>

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/trichothecene/pdf/trichothecenecasedef.pdf

>

>

> Somebody should really tell Dr. Redd of the

> CDC about this. The guy who is in charge of this

> issue. Because on Sept 28, 2005, while presenting

> a telecast meant to alert the citizen of New Orleans

> of the health hazards caused by mold, Dr. Redd

> stated,

>

>

> " The third category is that of toxin-mediated

> disease. Some molds are capable

> of producing toxins. 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. "

>

>

> The presentation was entitled, " Update on Health

> Issues Related to Mold,

> Mildew and Mud in Hurricane and Flood Affected

> Areas " Wednesday, September 28, 2005

>

>

> Tell me why it is that the CDC produced this

> document in March of 2005 acknowledging death from

> inhaled mycotoxins, but Dr. Redd was telling the

> public there is no evidence that airborne mold

> toxins have produced disease in September of 2005.

>

> Maybe death isn't caused by disease, huh?

>

>

>

>

>

>

> CDC Chemical Emergencies

>

> CASE DEFINITION

> Trichothecene Mycotoxins

> Clinical description

>

> Trichothecene mycotoxins might be weaponized and

> dispersed

> through the air or mixed in food or beverages.

> Initially,

> route-specific effects are typically prominent.

> Dermal

> exposure leads to burning pain, redness, and

> blisters, and

> oral exposure leads to vomiting and diarrhea. Ocular

>

> exposure might result in blurred vision, and

> inhalational

> exposure might cause nasal irritation and cough.

> Systemic

> symptoms can develop with all routes of exposure and

> might

> include weakness, ataxia, hypotension, coagulopathy,

> and

> death (1).

>

> Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

>

> • Biologic: Selected commercial laboratories are

> offering

> immunoassays to identify trichothecenes or

> trichothecene-

> specific antibodies in human blood or urine (2, 3).

> However, these procedures have not been analytically

>

> validated and are not recommended.

>

> • Environmental: Detection of trichothecene

> mycotoxins in

> environmental samples, as determined by FDA.

>

> As a result of indoor air-quality investigations

> involving

> mold and potentially mold-related health effects,

> mycotoxin

> analyses of bulk environmental samples are now

> commercially

> available through environmental microbiology

> laboratories

> in the United States (4). Studies have not been done

> to

> determine the background level of trichothecenes in

> non-

> moldy homes and office buildings or nonagricultural

> outdoor

> environments. Therefore, the simple detection of

> trichothecenes in environmental samples does not

> invariably

> indicate an intentional

> contamination.

>

> Case classification

>

> • Suspected: A case in which a potentially exposed

> person

> is being evaluated by health-care workers or public

> health

> officials for poisoning by a particular chemical

> agent, but

> no specific credible threat exists.

>

>

> • Probable: A clinically compatible case in which

> a high

> index of suspicion (credible threat or patient

> history

> regarding location and time) exists for

> trichothecene

> mycotoxins exposure, or an epidemiologic link exists

>

> between this case and a laboratory-confirmed case.

>

>

> • Confirmed: A clinically compatible case in

> which

> laboratory tests of environmental samples have

> confirmed

> exposure.

>

>

>

> The case can be confirmed if laboratory testing was

> not

> performed because either a predominant amount of

> clinical and nonspecific laboratory evidence of a

> particular chemical was present or a 100% certainty

> of the

> etiology of the agent is known.

>

>

> Additional resources

>

> 1. Wannemacher RW Jr, Wiener SL. Trichothecene

> mycotoxins.

> In: Zajtchuk R, Bellamy RF, eds.

> Textbook of military medicine: medical aspects of

> chemical

> and biologic warfare. Washington, DC:

> Office of the Surgeon General at TMM Publications,

> Borden

> Institute, Walter Army Medical

> Center; 1997:655-77.

>

>

> 2. Croft WA, Jastromski BM, Croft AL, s HA.

> Clinical

> confirmation of trichothecene mycotoxicosis

> in patient urine. J Environ Biol 2002;23:301-20.

>

>

>

=== message truncated ===

Wei Tang, Ph.D.

Lab Director

QLAB

Cherry Hill, NJ