In the deserts of the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and different parts of South America exists a particularly nasty variety of mold that can cause an extremely serious skin disease. This is Coccidioides immitis and if left untreated, it can turn fatal.
Coccidioidomycosis (or Valley Fever) is caused by inhaling the spores of C. immitis. The clinical features of this disease (when there are any symptoms at all) usually include rashes, headaches, coughing, fever, and myalgia. Myalgia is another name for “muscle pain” and this can be the cause of many different disorders and diseases. The most frequent cause of this is the extensive use of a certain muscle or a set of muscles. If the patient does not have a history of accidents, then it is probably due to a viral or a bacterial infection. If it is a long term symptom, then it could be a symptom of some kind of nutritional deficiency.
One of the most common causes of the inhalation of the C. immitis spores is the disturbance of contaminated, dusty soil. This can be due to either a person exposing themselves to the soil while in the process of work, recreation, or as a result of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or a dust storm. The states where the disease is known to be endemic are California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
The incidence of this disease in the year 1995 in Arizona was 15 infections per 100,000 people.
Those at risk for this disease are those who work in areas where the disease is endemic and do work that exposes them to contaminated dust and soil, which are construction workers, archeologists, or any kind of agricultural worker. Pregnant women that are in their third trimester, Asians, African Americans, and anyone who has a weakened immune system are also particularly at risk to contract this disease.
Some people who contract this disease do not recover and this can bring on chronic pulmonary infection or even a disseminated infection that can be located all over the body. If not treated or a person with HIV or AIDs does not recover completely from this disease, severe pulmonary disease may surface.
In 2001, a group of archeologists who had been working at a dig in Utah developed the disease within about two weeks of being exposed to the contaminated soil. Since then, there has been a new regulation put into place requiring the watering of the soil before digging can begin and for the use of breathing masks.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Houston Fire Damage Water Restoration Contractor companies and
Los Angeles Water Damage and Restoration Services.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Why Use Dogs To Detect Mold When Kits Are Just As Effective
There have been reports of different mold remediation companies using dogs in order to detect the presence of toxic mold in the homes and businesses that they are paid to treat. Obviously, this is probably not a good idea on the part of the remediation service, as animals are not any less susceptible to the effects of toxic molds and other fungi than we human beings are. Any medical mycologist will gladly give you this information and also inform you that this practice of using dogs to sniff out mold is not something that should be promoted. It is cruelty to animals and needs to be stopped. In modern times, there is no reason whatsoever for this method of mold detection to continue at all for any reason. There are many other ways to detect mold besides putting a defenseless animal in danger.
Dogs cannot identify what species of mold is present or in what quantity; only trained and certified scientists are capable of doing this. Some people will tell you that they use dogs because of the health risk that it presents to humans to detect the mold themselves, but this claim is not worthy of anyone’s belief. The fact is that mold inspectors and investigators that become ill and develop serious lung and skin diseases are contracting these because of the incorrect usage of their personal protection equipment. Biohazard suits and respirators should be used when a professional is attempting to locate or remove mold from a home or business. The diseases and conditions that can be caused by mold can very well result in death and while we humans have the ability to go to a doctor and acknowledge when we are will, dogs and other animals do not have this choice. It is frequently the case that by the time a mold related infection occurring in a pet is noticed, it is completely beyond treatment and the animal needs to be put down to avoid further suffering.
Our pets can become affected by fungal eye infections, respiratory diseases, kidney, and other infections caused by pathogenic molds. After an exposure to toxic or allergenic molds, the immune system of the body develops an allergic sensitivity and becomes less able to defend itself against opportunistic infections.
Please do not hire anyone who uses “mold dogs” to detect mold in your home or business. If you would not allow your own pet to be used in such a manner, why would you allow any other animal? There are plenty of other ways for a reputable mold remediation company to detect mold in your home.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration contractors and
Mold Remediation companies across the united states.
Dogs cannot identify what species of mold is present or in what quantity; only trained and certified scientists are capable of doing this. Some people will tell you that they use dogs because of the health risk that it presents to humans to detect the mold themselves, but this claim is not worthy of anyone’s belief. The fact is that mold inspectors and investigators that become ill and develop serious lung and skin diseases are contracting these because of the incorrect usage of their personal protection equipment. Biohazard suits and respirators should be used when a professional is attempting to locate or remove mold from a home or business. The diseases and conditions that can be caused by mold can very well result in death and while we humans have the ability to go to a doctor and acknowledge when we are will, dogs and other animals do not have this choice. It is frequently the case that by the time a mold related infection occurring in a pet is noticed, it is completely beyond treatment and the animal needs to be put down to avoid further suffering.
Our pets can become affected by fungal eye infections, respiratory diseases, kidney, and other infections caused by pathogenic molds. After an exposure to toxic or allergenic molds, the immune system of the body develops an allergic sensitivity and becomes less able to defend itself against opportunistic infections.
Please do not hire anyone who uses “mold dogs” to detect mold in your home or business. If you would not allow your own pet to be used in such a manner, why would you allow any other animal? There are plenty of other ways for a reputable mold remediation company to detect mold in your home.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration contractors and
Mold Remediation companies across the united states.
A Dangerous Problem May Be Hiding Under The Snow
Most people love a beautiful blanket of snow on their lawn during the wintertime, but they are not aware of the fact that there can be a very unwelcome visitor lurking underneath that snow. The worst thing is, they probably will not know about it until the snow is already melted and the disease has done its damage.
Snow mold typically becomes a problem when the blanket of snow does not melt for a long period of time. The mold begins to grow when a thick, wet blanket of snow falls on ground that is not frozen.
The symptoms of snow mold generally consist of circular patches of dead grass that are usually 3 to 12 inches in diameter. In extreme cases, you might not be able to tell that these patches are circles at all because most of the grass has died. Pink snow mold, caused by Microdochium nivale, can look white initially and when it matures, it turns from a pale pink to a deep salmon-like color. Gray snow mold, caused by species in the genus Typhula, is anywhere from gray to white in color. It is a good idea to determine whether you are dealing with gray or pink snow mold, because gray snow mold does not tend to damage more than just the blades of the grass. Pink snow mold can completely kill the roots if it is left untreated.
Snow molds are usually active around temperatures just above freezing in somewhat wet conditions. It can grow not only when snow covers a lawn, but also when autumn leaves cover it for a long period of time, as well. Any kind of grass can be affected by this disease, but it has been noted that Kentucky bluegrass lawns are some of the least likely to suffer severe damage.
If you want to prevent snow mold from growing on your lawn, one of the best things that you can do is take care of it around the end of summer. As long as the grass keeps growing, you should keep having it mowed. If you apply any fertilizers to your lawn during the fall, you should apply them over six weeks before you expect the grass to stop growing. Nitrogen fertilizer should not be used around the time the grass stops growing or it will cause a burst of growth and give the mold more to feed on while the snow is on top of it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration contractors and
Mold Remediation companies across the united states.
Snow mold typically becomes a problem when the blanket of snow does not melt for a long period of time. The mold begins to grow when a thick, wet blanket of snow falls on ground that is not frozen.
The symptoms of snow mold generally consist of circular patches of dead grass that are usually 3 to 12 inches in diameter. In extreme cases, you might not be able to tell that these patches are circles at all because most of the grass has died. Pink snow mold, caused by Microdochium nivale, can look white initially and when it matures, it turns from a pale pink to a deep salmon-like color. Gray snow mold, caused by species in the genus Typhula, is anywhere from gray to white in color. It is a good idea to determine whether you are dealing with gray or pink snow mold, because gray snow mold does not tend to damage more than just the blades of the grass. Pink snow mold can completely kill the roots if it is left untreated.
Snow molds are usually active around temperatures just above freezing in somewhat wet conditions. It can grow not only when snow covers a lawn, but also when autumn leaves cover it for a long period of time, as well. Any kind of grass can be affected by this disease, but it has been noted that Kentucky bluegrass lawns are some of the least likely to suffer severe damage.
If you want to prevent snow mold from growing on your lawn, one of the best things that you can do is take care of it around the end of summer. As long as the grass keeps growing, you should keep having it mowed. If you apply any fertilizers to your lawn during the fall, you should apply them over six weeks before you expect the grass to stop growing. Nitrogen fertilizer should not be used around the time the grass stops growing or it will cause a burst of growth and give the mold more to feed on while the snow is on top of it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration contractors and
Mold Remediation companies across the united states.
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