Gram negative bacteria.

[Guest guest]

Okay you all,

I am not finding much info that would indicate mVOC's are the cause of serious symptoms. But, I have received this information from a friend. It is in regard to endotoxins produced by gram negative bacteria. Could this, as opposed to the existance of mVOC's, be an explaination of a "mixture" that is causing illness? Could I, in lay terms, correctly say:

"Symptoms caused by an excessive exposure to molds and mycotoxins; and the toxins produced by some bacteria?" (In another sentence I have already explained that mycotoxins are not always present)

Please understand, I am NOT attempting to write a medical paper. I am just attempting to write a very short "lay paper" that is simple for those who know nothing about this to understand (aka- Mold for Dummies) while being correct from you all's perspective.

Sharon

As the literature shows, gram negative bacteria produce endotoxins. In addition, search of the literature demonstrates that endotoxins can do and act synergistically with mycotoxins. Further, when one considers that the fine particulate matter (less than 2 microns) is taken into account the exposure to antigens, mycotoxins, hemolysins, etc. is magnified some 300 fold. I believe that Dr. Brasel, et al (from Dr. Straus’s Lab at TTU), have demonstrated that the mycotoxins are present in the fine particulate matter and that the mycotoxins are also present in the blood of patients from water-damaged buildings. These observations explain why van Emon et al found Stachylysin in the blood of symptomatic building occupants that they could not account for by spore counts alone. We definitely need to go further with this information and these approaches to define the indoor environment and the biological realities of the contamination.

Margaret: I could not agree with you

more. The CDC has shown its callousness with respect to the mold

issue. Other issues that must be addressed are the roles that bacteria

and their toxins are playing. For example, I recommended to

Lipsey to do bacterial counts in the St. Bernard Parish where FEMA workers have

experienced health problems. I have copied Dr. Lipsey’s press

release below.

As the literature shows, gram negative

bacteria produce endotoxins. In addition, search of the literature

demonstrates that endotoxins can do and act synergistically with

mycotoxins. Further, when one considers that the fine particulate matter

(less than 2 microns) is taken into account the exposure to antigens, mycotoxins,

hemolysins, etc. is magnified some 300 fold. I believe that Dr. Brasel,

et al (from Dr. Straus’s Lab at TTU), have demonstrated that the

mycotoxins are present in the fine particulate matter and that the mycotoxins

are also present in the blood of patients from water-damaged buildings. These

observations explain why van Emon et al found Stachylysin in the blood of

symptomatic building occupants that they could not account for by spore counts

alone. We definitely need to go further with this information and these

approaches to define the indoor environment and the biological realities of the

contamination.

I you want copies of the culture data I

will be most happy to forward the information.

March 9, 2006

To:

Mr. Hudson

From: Dr.

Lipsey. Toxicologist

RE: The Mold and

Bacterial Results from the Sampling Dr. Lipsey did in St Bernard Parish

The samples I collected on Feb. 11, while on tour of the devastation in St.

Bernard Parish, have been analyzed by an independent microbiological lab. Out

of 45,000 homes in the parish, only 500 were habitable, and I sampled six (6 )

of them. The mold and bacterial counts and species are listed below.

Most of the homes had extremely high levels of pathogenic mold and bacteria,

the highest I have ever seen in my 35 years of testing homes for toxic mold and

bacteria. The bacterial counts were as high as 62 million bacteria per square

inch of wallpaper and furniture. The most abundant bacteria I found in the

homes were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. Fluorescens, Enterobacter cloacae,

Pantoca, Brevundimonas vesicularis and Stenotrophomonas, all in the tens of

millions per square inch of wallpaper and furniture and gram negative bacteria

of many kinds. These levels of these pathogenic bacteria can cause many

diseases and death in humans. The gram negative bacteria all produce

endotoxins, similar to mycotoxins used in germ warfare at very high levels to

kill people within minutes, and include Legionella bacteria, Salmonella, E.

coli from human sewage, etc.

The mold levels were in the millions of spores per square inch of wallpaper or

on furniture and the most common pathogenic mold appeared to be Stachybotrys

which was seen at over 8 million colony forming units per square inch.

Stachybotrys can produce mycotoxins and is sometimes called the

black mold , and is the most toxic of all toxic molds producing some of

the most potent and deadly mycotoxins. It is 10 times more toxic that the most

pathogenic of the Penicillium or Aspergillus molds which also can produce

mycotoxins. Stachybotrys is uncommon in contaminated homes and I rarely find it

in even the most sick of the sick buildings. Stachybotrys produces tricothocenes,

ie T-2, and highly purified forms were developed by the U.S. Army and never used and have since, probably been destroyed. There is also the concern

that some of the bacteria and molds produce a synergistic effect in combination

to make them even more toxic.

I was shocked to find out that the Habitat for Humanity volunteers that I

toured with, and who were trained by FEMA, had been told that mold cannot hurt

you and you do not need any protective equipment. This was totally wrong and I

gave them the 800 phone number of the lab that could overnight the proper

safety equipment to them c/o the Scotia Prince since none of them had mailing

addresses. Highly pathogenic endotoxins from gram negative bacteria were found

earlier by NIOSH scientists and personnel from the Louisiana Dept. of Health

and the levels were 20 times above normal on average. The levels were not only

high inside the flooded homes but also in the ambient air in the neighborhood.

Gram negative bacteria and their spores and the endotoxins they produce got

into the ambient air in the neighborhoods which created sick neighborhoods as

well as sick buildings totally uninhabitable. I would recommend that anyone

even walking thru the neighborhoods in St. Bernard Parish wear HEPA respirators.

I developed bronchitis from walking in the neighborhoods, because I always put

on my HEPA respirator before entering any of the homes.

I inspected almost every area and neighborhood in St. Bernard Parish on Friday

and Saturday and took samples and I took pictures. Most of the residents

doing remediation of their homes were wearing protective equipment and dragging

contaminated debris to the curbside. I inspected many homes and the stench of

rotting materials was in every home and there was significant water damage and

high levels of pathogenic molds and bacteria in every home since the homes had

been under water for days and have been growing mold for months. There were

snakes living in some of the homes and marsh grass in most of the homes and many

had marsh grass on top of the roof indicating how deep the water was in those

areas of St. Bernard Parish. None of the homes were safe to occupy or even be

inside for any length of time without personal protective equipment including a

HEPA respirator, rubber gloves, goggles and a Tyvek suit.

Many

of the homes must be bulldozed and burned since they cannot be salvaged. None

of the Scotia Prince Cruise L:ines residents should return to the neighborhoods

without proper protective equipment much less return to their destroyed homes

and try to salvage them.

Dr. L. Lipsey (

904 )398-2168

550 Water St,

#1230, ville, FL 32202

Forensic

Toxicologist and former Adjunct Professor,

Univ. N. Florida,

Div. Continuing Educ., HazMat/OSHA

Fla. Comm. College

Jax, Institute of Occ. Safety & Health,

Clinical Toxicology

Advisory Comm., Florida Poison Info Center, Jax.

www.richardlipsey.com

From: Dr.

Jack Thrasher, Immunotoxocologist, March 9, 2006

The

endotoxins and the Pseudomonas toxin are the important issues. Endotoxins are

very irritating to the mucous membranes of the nose, throat, lungs etc. Can

cause sever respiratory distress in asthmatics and may also cause asthma

themselves. In addition, it is well accepted that endotoxins open up the blood

brain barrier, making it leaky to toxins. Furthermore, animal and test tube studies

show that endotoxins act synergistically with mycotoxins, particularly

trichothecenes, to enhance the toxicity of both. A quick PubMed search will

bring this out to anyone who wishes to look.

The other area of concern is that the bacteria also produce solvents. (

JT )

From: Dr.

Straus, Texas Tech. Univ., March 9, 200

We know that endotoxins get into the air when there are a lot of Gram-negatives

present such as E.coli contaminating feedlot soil. We have shown this. It is

not known if exotoxin A gets into the air where it can be inhaled. In fact I

doubt seriously that this would happen. ( DCS )

Dr. L.

Lipsey ( 904 )398-2168

550 Water St,

#1230, ville, FL 32202

Forensic

Toxicologist and former Adjunct Professor,

Univ. N. Florida,

Div. Continuing Educ., HazMat/OSHA

Fla. Comm. College

Jax, Institute of Occ. Safety & Health,

Clinical Toxicology

Advisory Comm., Florida Poison Info Center, Jax.

www.richardlipsey.com

Jack D. Thrasher, Ph.D.

Toxicologist/Immunotoxicologist

The information contained in this e-mail

transmission is privileged and confidential. If you are not the intended

recipient, do not read, copy, distribute, or reproduce this transmission.

If you have received this e-mail transmission in error you are asked to return

it to the sender and/or notify the sender by calling

From: Margaret Maizel

Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006

1:54 PM

To: 'Margaret Maizel'; Jack

Thrasher, PhD; SNK1955@...

Cc: mch@...;

ritchieshoemaker@...; Rllipsey87@...; immunsci@...

Subject: RE: Dr. Leung and the

JACI

Dear Dr. Thrasher et. Al.,

Re many-fronted efforts. I might add, if

I may, that while little might be expected to be done in the current climate of

‘no funds’ and other priorities, -- working to get a legislative

study is ONE way to build the record for what is known, what is not known and

what is conflicting. It shouldn’t be a way to decide to do nothing

until more is known, (well-known delay tactic to do nothing in the end)

but it seems there is such an effective lot of misinformation out there,

it would be difficult to move the association/policy community, effectively

…………also..CDC, in my estimation is not really THE

federal research entity that can properly examine same. Just not their

primary mission. I, myself prefer NIH. (Sorry, any advocates of the CDC

and sorry, anyone there who is right-minded).

The Kennedy’s, as I have mentioned

to Sharon, started one of the Institutes at NIH where I worked for many

years. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Ritchie’s work is suggesting a genetic predisposition at least ONE level

of susceptibility. If there were a developmental avenue of approach, then so

much the better.

Studies are not commitments. A

well managed study will turn up good science and otherwise. It gives

those who would rather NOT do anything no real way to say “no” at

the outset. – and it is a public process (to the extent that still

may be limited). It takes good staff work to be sure the hearings or studies

are well designed. It will likely have to be done in any event in order

to effectively free up needed research funding.

The current really serious concern for

the families and children in NO and the Gulf – as well as everywhere,

would make such an initiative (one of many, needed), always worthwhile. Yes,

it’s long-term, but so are the repercussions, and something lasting

should come of this.

I believe that Sharon’s current

interaction with the Senate Committee would gain an expanded level of

acceptance with all the heightened concern about the real effects of mold. A

study – maybe a fall-back, position should be kept as adefinite

possibility. Certainly NOT to let up on frontal approaches, either. –

Just to expand the initiatives.

I totally agree that this is the time to

expend an organized, multi-faceted program for public education on many fronts.

Re Conflicts of interest in

Sciences. Many good universities are supporting studies in medical

ethics. Columbia University is one. See their Center for Bioethics

and related centers at:

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/bec/re/academic.html

We`all know this is a bigger war than

the mold war. Being a player is important.

Margaret

From: Jack Thrasher,

PhD

Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 10:46

AM

To: SNK1955@...;

mmaizel@...

Cc: mch@...;

ritchieshoemaker@...; Rllipsey87@...; immunsci@...

Subject: RE: Dr. Leung and the

JACI

Sharon and all others on list: I

strongly believe that this an opportunity to get much needed information out to

the public and treating physicians. I commend you and Dr. Leung for you

persistence in getting this matter resolved. A position paper as appears

in the AAAI and ACOEM should not be written since science and medicine moves so

rapidly today. Also, the IOM report had a cut off date of approximately

Sept/Oct 2002 and therefore missed years of studies since the initial review.

A good example of an oversight, whether deliberate or not, is the fact that IgG

antibodies to mold antigens goes back prior to the 1980s in the peer reviewed

literature. Ojanen et al were the first, to my knowledge, that associated

IgG and IgA antibodies to mold antigens with farmer’s lung disease.

In addition, the FDA uses ELISA methods to determine mycotoxins in foods.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the

issue of environmental and occupational medicine in the medical school

curricula should be brought forth. In 1988 and again in 1995, the

National Research Council, in two reports, clearly demonstrated that the

subject matter is not adequately presented in the medical school curricula in

the U.S. This has not been corrected as of current. In a survey of

Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) in the State of Texas (Hamilton, et al, 2005)

86.1% of the respondents reported that they had never received specific

training in environmental health history taking and 97.1% of these indicated a

desire to learn more about environmental health hazards. The State of Texas has one the largest Medical Association memberships in the U.S. The data in the

Hamilton survey revealed that patients regularly raise questions about

environmental topics that PCPs do not routinely discuss. Thus, the danger

of position papers is that they do not educate, but only put forth one side of

an issue. If medicine is to move forward at the PCP level (this is where

ill individuals first go), then we must make certain that the PCPs understand

the nature of the problems facing the patient and the PCP. Another

problem with such position papers is how the insurance companies and their

attorneys use them in deposition and trials. They attempt to allude to

the fact that, for example, injury from molds, outside of allergies and asthma,

is not generally accepted in the medical and scientific professions. This

is the same type of position taken with respect to tobacco, cigarette smoking

and side-stream-smoke as well as air pollution in the cities of throughout the

world. Let us move forward on a positive note.

Jack D. Thrasher, Ph.D.

Toxicologist/Immunotoxicologist

The information contained in this e-mail

transmission is privileged and confidential. If you are not the intended

recipient, do not read, copy, distribute, or reproduce this transmission.

If you have received this e-mail transmission in error you are asked to return

it to the sender and/or notify the sender by calling

From: SNK1955@...

Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 11:12

AM

To: mmaizel@...

Cc: mch@...;

ritchieshoemaker@...; Rllipsey87@...; immunsci@...; Jack

Thrasher, PhD

Subject: Fwd: Dr. Leung and the

JACI