Re: The National Media and Mold

[Guest guest]

" Steve Weir " wrote:

> The reason I raise this up is - Do we believe the national media's

or the public's perception of mold in our occupied buildings has

changed in recent days/months/years?

>

Yes, absolutely.

The public perception of mold has definitely changed in the last

six years.

I asked a number of " old time " remediators if they had encountered

people who complained of such extreme reactivities and illnesses to

mold as is now being claimed.

The response was that they had not, even though they had identified

stachybotrys in particular while doing flood damage restoration.

I asked Eckard Johannings office that question and was told " I've

seen stachy dripping from the ceiling into babies cribs without

causing the kind of illness that you describe " .

So the question is:

Why are so many people who were never known to be liars before keep

saying that they are being made ill by mold?

-

[Guest guest]

I've noticed a dramatic change in the last year in the media coverage of mold illness - especially in the local news - (perhaps because its less influenced by the media conglomerates which tend to spin stories the corporate friendly way)

In any case, Ive seen stories again and again which advise people (correctly!) that moisture, and especially - mold needs to be dealt with immediately because its a major health hazard and can cause serious illnesses. And my empirical feeling from reading the news is that it seems as if media coverage of people suing landlords, builders, etc. has, in the last year - dramatically shifted from generally implying that the plaintiffs are 'trying to pull some kind of scam' to increasingly, realistically describing the horrible experiences people have had and how catastrophic it was for their lives .

On the personal level, I also now know a fair number of people who didn't know what to make of my illness when I first realized that mold was making me sick who now realize that it wasn't just me, this is also happening to people in their lives.. I think the increasingly positive media coverage of other people's struggles made all the difference.

Has anyone else noticed this? On 10/5/06, snk1955@... <snk1955@...

> wrote:

Sammeq,

You asked, " If you watched either story, do you believe these new stories have any new influence? " .

Yes, of course they do. It's called news. The media is shedding light on uncountable aspects of wrongs and cover ups within our gov't, today. Not just mold. One cannot pick up a newspaper without reading a new one, practically every single day.

Without these types of public awareness journalism (or Reality programs), many would still be kept in the dark about the true dangers of mold/mycotoxin exposure within the indoor environment (location of stakeholder liability).

Below is from the Extreme Home Makeover Website. The way the widow and her six children learned that they needed to vacate the home, was when the husband's autopsy report came back showing the mold within his body. I hear Extreme Home Makeovers is being inundated with calls of people who are terrified about mold in their home.

What causes this type of reaction is the denial of legitimate serious illnesses from mold, which is financially motivated in order to limit financial liability within the courtroom for many well connected industries, including the US Chamber of Commerce.

People do not trust the advice of the mainstream medical associations today. And justifiably so. (Some key ones are headed up by old Tobacco Scientists). The intentional stifling of true medical information fuels the fear, mistrust and confusion over when mold is a legitimate health threat and when it is not.

If one wants to think there is just a lot of unwarranted fear and hysteria out here over the mold issue, then one should also think about looking a little deeper at what causes it.

From the Extreme Home Makerover Website:

ann Gilliam and her six children of Armada Township, MI, lost their father in a tragic, unexpected death on Christmas Eve. Gilliam simultaneously worked several jobs to support his family in order to fulfill his dream of becoming a firefighter and EMT. He was one state test away from getting his instructor coordinator license when he suddenly died. As a result of her husband's autopsy, ann learned that the basement of her family's home was contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic spores. Her doctor advised the mother and her six children to vacate the house for health reasons. The community has rallied around the Gilliams; since 's death, the family have lived with several family members, neighbors and friends. Currently they are living with ann's sister.So the design team will not only be changing lives, but also saving them - the Gilliams' doctor said they cannot return to the house because they will all get sick in that environment. The new house is built in the fastest time ever in the show's history -- in 53 hours and 54 minutes -- which is half the show's normal build time!

Sharon

[Guest guest]

Hi Dr. ,

The below quote is from the website of a Reality TV show. The whole thing was about 4 paragraphs. It wasn't a peer reviewed scientific paper (not that peer reviewed guarantees something IS a scientific paper these days).

If one saw the show, the husband was attempting to remediate the mold in the basement. Apparently, no one had told him that this can be a dangerous to do without proper attire and precautions. (Ya know, Mold is ubiquious. We all breathe it everyday. One could never be exposed to enough indoors to .... People who claim the are sick from mold exposure are simply scum liars trying scam money from the insures, etc). Gee. Wonder why this now deceased father of six did not know better?

As I understand it, he came down with flu like symptoms within a day. He never shook "the flu". It got progressively worse and he was dead within a month. And yes, I am aware of SEVERAL that have had this happen to them after an excessive exposure to mold within an INDOOR environment. I think that is why HasMat suits are so fashionable for those who work within the industry and know better.

I don't think these type of reports drive "scientists" crazy at all. I think these types of reports drive expert defense witnesses involved in mold litigation crazy....

Or in your case, one who has been fed much hooey about the lack of severity of illnesses caused by molds/mycotoxins from an INDOOR exposure and who has bought the hype. (Not meant to be an aggressive statement. The vast majority of professionals involved in the mold issue have bought the hype). I don't think too much of the Tobacco Scientists' abuse of science for profit. And I do blame their intentional promotion of misinformation for the death of this father.

But I will give them this, they are very creative, persuasive and they certainly aren't lazy. I don't understand why this show would drive you crazy. But I do understand why the producers of Extreme Homemaker Over are probably going crazy right now. They are getting calls from people who are scared to death about a little mold in their home.

Too bad there is not some authoritative source somewhere to explain the true science of the matter to these scared people. To explain to them that mold can indeed be very harmful to human health, even from an indoor exposure. To explain to them that a little mold in your shower is not the same as what this family experienced.

It's not true occurances like this being reported and informing the public of the legitimate, seriousness of some mold exposures - that create an hysterical situation. It is the knowingly stifling of the legitimate, seriousness of some mold exposures that create a hysterical situation. So, if you want to understand why people are confused about the matter and sometimes over react (or under react) simply look at the junk science by Big Tobacco pros and their fellow travelers in mold litigation.

The promotion of the false concept that these illnesses or even death are not plausible from an indoor exposure to mold is the root of the problem. If you are one who promotes this false concept, then don't blame "hysteria" on the media. Look within to find the root cause of the problem.

Sharon

Sharon—

“As a result of her husband's autopsy, ann learned that the basement of her family's home was contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic spores. Her doctor advised the mother and her six children to vacate the house for health reasons.â€

The above quote is difficult to evaluate. This type of “report†is what drives scientists crazy. It is a hysterical response, cynically designed to promote interest by the viewers. Humans want to know about the tragedies of others, and they are very relieved that it was not them. If you really wanted to know the “facts’ of the case, you need the man’s autopsy report. This is hard to get due to privacy concerns. You also need a quality microbiology analysis of the house, and a determination if any organism(s) found in the house had any relationship that could be considered biologically plausible as a cause of the man’s death.

F. , Ph.D., MPH, D(ABMM)

Microbial Epidemiologist

Children’s Hospital

Denver, Colorado

[Guest guest]

Sharon—

“As a result of

her husband's autopsy, ann learned that the basement of her family's home

was contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic spores. Her doctor advised the

mother and her six children to vacate the house for health reasons.”

The above quote is difficult to evaluate. This

type of “report” is what drives scientists crazy. It is a

hysterical response, cynically designed to promote interest by the viewers.

Humans want to know about the tragedies of others, and they are very relieved

that it was not them. If you really wanted to know the “facts’

of the case, you need the man’s autopsy report. This is hard to get due

to privacy concerns. You also need a quality microbiology analysis of the house,

and a determination if any organism(s) found in the house had any relationship

that could be considered biologically plausible as a cause of the man’s death.

F. , Ph.D., MPH, D(ABMM)

Microbial Epidemiologist

Children’s Hospital

Denver, Colorado

From:

iequality [mailto:iequality ] On Behalf Of snk1955@...

Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006

11:16 AM

To: iequality

Subject: Re: The

National Media and Mold

Sammeq,

You asked, " If you watched either

story, do you believe these new stories have any

new influence? " .

Yes, of course they do. It's called

news. The media is shedding light on uncountable aspects of wrongs and

cover ups within our gov't, today. Not just mold. One cannot

pick up a newspaper without reading a new one, practically every single

day.

Without these types of public

awareness journalism (or Reality programs), many would still be kept in

the dark about the true dangers of mold/mycotoxin exposure within the indoor

environment (location of stakeholder liability).

Below is from the Extreme Home

Makeover Website. The way the widow and her six children learned that

they needed to vacate the home, was when the husband's autopsy report came back

showing the mold within his body. I hear Extreme Home Makeovers is being

inundated with calls of people who are terrified about mold in their home.

What causes this type of reaction is the

denial of legitimate serious illnesses from mold, which is financially

motivated in order to limit financial liability within the courtroom for many

well connected industries, including the US Chamber of Commerce.

People do not trust the advice of the

mainstream medical associations today. And justifiably so. (Some key

ones are headed up by old Tobacco Scientists). The intentional

stifling of true medical information fuels the fear, mistrust and

confusion over when mold is a legitimate health threat and when it is not.

If one wants to think there is just a lot

of unwarranted fear and hysteria out here over the mold issue, then one should

also think about looking a little deeper at what causes it.

From the Extreme Home Makerover Website:

ann Gilliam and her six children of Armada Township, MI,

lost their father in a tragic, unexpected death on Christmas Eve.

Gilliam simultaneously worked several jobs to support his family in order

to fulfill his dream of becoming a firefighter and EMT. He was one state test

away from getting his instructor coordinator license when he suddenly died. As a result of her husband's

autopsy, ann learned that the basement of her family's home was

contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic spores. Her doctor advised the mother

and her six children to vacate the house for health reasons.

The community has rallied around the Gilliams; since 's death, the family

have lived with several family members, neighbors and friends. Currently they

are living with ann's sister.

So the design team will not only be changing lives, but also saving them - the

Gilliams' doctor said they cannot return to the house because they will all get

sick in that environment. The new house is built in the fastest time ever in

the show's history -- in 53 hours and 54 minutes -- which is half the show's

normal build time!

Sharon

[Guest guest]

:

VERY well put! Thanks.

--

Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP

President

KERNTEC Industries, Inc.

Bakersfield, California

www.kerntecindustries.com

Sharon—

“As a result of her husband's autopsy, ann learned that the basement of her family's home was contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic spores. Her doctor advised the mother and her six children to vacate the house for health reasons.”

The above quote is difficult to evaluate. This type of “report” is what drives scientists crazy. It is a hysterical response, cynically designed to promote interest by the viewers. Humans want to know about the tragedies of others, and they are very relieved that it was not them. If you really wanted to know the “facts’ of the case, you need the man’s autopsy report. This is hard to get due to privacy concerns. You also need a quality microbiology analysis of the house, and a determination if any organism(s) found in the house had any relationship that could be considered biologically plausible as a cause of the man’s death.

F. , Ph.D., MPH, D(ABMM)

Microbial Epidemiologist

Children’s Hospital

Denver, Colorado

From: iequality [mailto:iequality ] On Behalf Of snk1955@...

Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 11:16 AM

To: iequality

Subject: Re: The National Media and Mold

Sammeq,

You asked, " If you watched either story, do you believe these new stories have any

new influence? " .

Yes, of course they do. It's called news. The media is shedding light on uncountable aspects of wrongs and cover ups within our gov't, today. Not just mold. One cannot pick up a newspaper without reading a new one, practically every single day.

Without these types of public awareness journalism (or Reality programs), many would still be kept in the dark about the true dangers of mold/mycotoxin exposure within the indoor environment (location of stakeholder liability).

Below is from the Extreme Home Makeover Website. The way the widow and her six children learned that they needed to vacate the home, was when the husband's autopsy report came back showing the mold within his body. I hear Extreme Home Makeovers is being inundated with calls of people who are terrified about mold in their home.

What causes this type of reaction is the denial of legitimate serious illnesses from mold, which is financially motivated in order to limit financial liability within the courtroom for many well connected industries, including the US Chamber of Commerce.

People do not trust the advice of the mainstream medical associations today. And justifiably so. (Some key ones are headed up by old Tobacco Scientists). The intentional stifling of true medical information fuels the fear, mistrust and confusion over when mold is a legitimate health threat and when it is not.

If one wants to think there is just a lot of unwarranted fear and hysteria out here over the mold issue, then one should also think about looking a little deeper at what causes it.

From the Extreme Home Makerover Website:

ann Gilliam and her six children of Armada Township, MI, lost their father in a tragic, unexpected death on Christmas Eve.

Gilliam simultaneously worked several jobs to support his family in order to fulfill his dream of becoming a firefighter and EMT. He was one state test away from getting his instructor coordinator license when he suddenly died. As a result of her husband's autopsy, ann learned that the basement of her family's home was contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic spores. Her doctor advised the mother and her six children to vacate the house for health reasons. The community has rallied around the Gilliams; since 's death, the family have lived with several family members, neighbors and friends. Currently they are living with ann's sister.

So the design team will not only be changing lives, but also saving them - the Gilliams' doctor said they cannot return to the house because they will all get sick in that environment. The new house is built in the fastest time ever in the show's history -- in 53 hours and 54 minutes -- which is half the show's normal build time!

Sharon

[Guest guest]

LiveSimply wrote:

> On the personal level, I also now know a fair number of people who

didn't know what to make of my illness when I first realized that mold

was making me sick who now realize that it wasn't just me, this is

also happening to people in their lives.. I think the increasingly

positive media coverage of other people's struggles made all the

difference.

>

> Has anyone else noticed this?

Yes, within the last year! and the paradigm shift is visible in

advertisements which now include mentions of mold.

The odd thing is that these advertisements for these products did not

mention mold in the past as if it were relatively unimportant before.

-

[Guest guest]

What the report was describing sounds like aspergillosis or some other

mycosis. They are major killers, not some kind of flight of fancy..

Mold colonizing people.. Its fairly common..

Not just immunocompromised people.. all sorts of people.. esp. in

hospitals..tropical countries, moldy buildings..

Read the medical literature, people..

[Guest guest]

Sharon

—

"As a result of

her husband's autopsy, ann learned that the basement of her family's home

was contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic spores. Her doctor advised the

mother and her six children to vacate the house for health reasons."

The above quote is difficult to evaluate. This

type of "report" is what drives scientists crazy. It is a

hysterical response, cynically designed to promote interest by the viewers.

Humans want to know about the tragedies of others, and they are very relieved

that it was not them. If you really wanted to know the "facts'

of the case, you need the man's autopsy report. This is hard to get due

to privacy concerns. You also need a quality microbiology analysis of the house,

and a determination if any organism(s) found in the house had any relationship

that could be considered biologically plausible as a cause of the man's death.

F. , Ph.D., MPH, D(ABMM)

Microbial Epidemiologist

Children's Hospital

Denver

, ColoradoHave you seen this website?:http://www.aspergillus.org.uk/Lots of info there on mycoses..

[Guest guest]

Speaking of reading the medical literature...Check out the February 2006 issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, including the followup note regarding conflict of interest in the current September 2006 issue, which is titled "Positon Paper - The Medical Effects of Mold Exposure." >> What the report was describing sounds like aspergillosis or some other> mycosis. They are major killers, not some kind of flight of fancy..> Mold colonizing people.. Its fairly common..> > Not just immunocompromised people.. all sorts of people.. esp. in> hospitals..tropical countries, moldy buildings..> > Read the medical literature, people..>

[Guest guest]

Yes, Mr. Ferguson,

The JACI was forced by the Center for Science in the Public Interest to disclose a little better about monies generated by the authors of their "state of the art" mold position statement's involvement and income generated from litigation defense work.

You can read it all, IF you go into the Sept edition of the JACI. You can read SOME of the correspondences they received off of Science Direct. Oddly though, two of the key correspondences are missing from the web information.

My second request to have this corrected:

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have written before in an effort to have an error corrected, but will do so again.

Within the Sept edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, there were several letters published that challenged the validity of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's Position Statement regarding "state of the art" understanding of mold induced illnesses.

Oddly, two are missing from the website information. These two are authored by very well respected scientists in the field of study of mycoses and mycotoxicoses.

The AAAAI, has been forced to strengthen their author Conflict of Interest statements over the matter. This is an area of great debate as many former expert "tobacco scientists" are now expert "mold scientists". Much money thru litigation involved in the issue.

Is it an oversight that the following two papers are not available for perusal on line along with the others? Or is it something else.

Sincerely,Sharon Kramer.

The two missing are:

Respirable trichothecene mycotoxins can be demonstrated in the air of Stachybotrys chartarum–contaminated buildings Straus DC, SC

Rigor, transparency, and disclosure needed in mold position paper Shoemaker RC, Ammann H, Lipsey R, Montz Epages 764-766Full Text | PDF (70 KB)

The entire correspondence within this series are:

Respirable trichothecene mycotoxins can be demonstrated in the air of Stachybotrys chartarum–contaminated buildings Straus DC, SCpage 760Full Text | PDF (46 KB)

Adverse reactions to fungal metabolic products in mold-contaminated areas Goldstein GBpages 760-761Full Text | PDF (54 KB)

Position paper on molds is seriously flawed Marinkovich VApages 761-762Full Text | PDF (51 KB)

The role of airborne mold in chronic rhinosinusitis Ponikau JU, Sherris DApages 762-763Full Text | PDF (51 KB)

Adverse health effects of indoor mold exposure Lieberman A, Rea W, Curtis Lpage 763Full Text | PDF (36 KB)

How solid is the Academy position paper on mold exposure? Strickland MHVpages 763-764Full Text | PDF (54 KB)

Rigor, transparency, and disclosure needed in mold position paper Shoemaker RC, Ammann H, Lipsey R, Montz Epages 764-766Full Text | PDF (70 KB)

Nondisclosure of conflicts of interest is perilous to the advancement of science Kilburn KH, Gray M, Kramer Spages 766-767Full Text | PDF (53 KB)

Reply Wood RA, Bush RKpages 767-768Full Text | PDF (48 KB)

Reply Platts-Mills Tpage 768Full Text | PDF (36 KB)