Good Morning,

This morning's photo is of a Sea Fan - Gorgonia spp. - with Aspergillosis, from the Henderson State University website, by James Engman, PhD, Professor and Biology Chair. For the effects of Aspergillosis in humans, see "Mold Education" below.

Hot tips on mold? Please let me know. Send information to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Cynthia Coulter Mulvihihll, Esq Hyde Mulvihill APC 216 W. Foothill Boulevard Monrovia CA 91016.

Plaintiff Dr. Sannette Gite claimed she was injured as a result of exposure to mold in her home which caused her to flee the 5,200 square foot residence without any of her personal belongings. In particular, Dr. Gite claimed a myriad of physical ailments from the alleged microbial exposure including permanent brain damage, upper and lower respiratory problems, lung incapacity, voice impairment, low white blood cell count, dizziness, lethargy, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal problems, bloating, diarrhea, angina, hair loss, headaches, memory loss, stuttering, rashes and skin discoloration. She blamed Home Depot and its trade contractor for the mold growth which purportedly was caused by water which entered through the threshold of French doors installed in the family room of her home.

Click here for: Los Angeles Jury Returns Defense Verdict in Mold Bodily Injury Case (PR Newswire, NY - Aug 3, 2005)

Clorox Corp., with $4.1 billion in revenues, is the manufacturer of Clorox bleach and numerous other brands. Recently, Clorox has been promoting its flagship bathroom cleaning product -- Tilex Mold and Mildew -- with a series of heavily rotated humorous television ads that feature a homeowner screaming and running out of the house with the tagline: "All homes have mold." In contrast to the tone of this, on the Tilex website there is reference to the potential health dangers of exposure to certain types of mold, including symptoms of lung tissue damage and memory loss.

Click here for: Clorox Medical Researcher Discredits Clorox Toxic Mold Advertising (Emediawire, WA - Aug 3, 2005)

McCreedy's suit says a fire on Sept. 2, 2002, in the condo directly below hers caused extensive damage to that unit. Compounding the fire damage was that done by water used to douse the flames at 28180 Pine Haven Way, unit 43.

Click here for: Woman sues condo association over alleged toxic mold damage (Naples Daily News, FL - Aug 3, 2005)

"After years of disabling illness, and with no help from doctors, I finally determined that mold from a home I lived in years before had contaminated all of my possessions, and was literally killing me,” said Wright. "In November of 2003, I threw out nearly everything I owned, including my commercial photo library, and decided to go camping in the fresh air of the outdoors to recover."

Click here for: Colorado Mountain Climber founds National Nonprofit to Aid Victims of Toxic Mold (Emediawire, WA - Aug 3, 2005)

According to the suit, officers stationed at Union Square came down with scabies as far back as 1986. Since then, the building has spawned an epidemic of asthma and other respiratory ailments among police and 911 dispatchers, according to the suit.

Click here for: Lawsuit: Police station's condition criminal (Boston Herald, United States - Aug 6, 2005)

In the meantime, Gov. Kathleen Blanco has been displaced, living in a rented Baton Rouge home with her husband. The work is costing the state nearly $739,000 — not counting the $5,000-a-month rent for the governor's temporary housing and the unknown cost of a list of expenses like phone line and security camera installations at the rental home.

Click here for: Blanco displaced from Governor's Mansion during mold removal (Times Picayune, LA - Aug 1, 2005)

Etiologic Agent. Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus. Less commonly Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus niger. Transmission. Inhalation of airborne conidia (spores). Nosocomial infection may be associated with dust exposure during building renovation or construction. Occasional outbreaks of cutaneous infection traced to contaminated biomedical devices.

Click here for Mold Education: Aspergillosis (Centers for Disease Control)

In June, an arbitration panel ordered the Landmark Organization to make the settlement offer after determining that the company was responsible for the cost of a $10.2 million mold cleanup project undertaken by the district in 2002, said PSJA Superintendent Arturo Guajardo. In its lawsuit, which also named 44 subcontractors, the district claimed the building developed a problem with mold due to design and construction flaws for which the Austin- based general contractor was responsible.

Click here for School Mold: PSJA settles for $11.2 million in mold lawsuit (Monitor, TX - Aug 1, 2005)

Sources say the contract was already in place before the feds announced last month that Sullivan was surrendering his colossal Le Lac mansion to help resolve civil and criminal claims against him. The claims are tied to the $11 billion accounting fraud at WorldCom.

Click here for Mold & Litigation: Mystery buyer has deal to buy Sullivan mansion for just $9.7 million, subject to Mold Contingency (Palm Beach Post, FL - Aug 6, 2005)

The suit alleges that Lexington Insurance Co., Allied World Assurance Co. and Allianz Global Risks have breached their contracts with the center. It states that the carriers "have wrongfully delayed resolution of the claims and exposed the buildings and their contents to greater risks than initially insured against, because the structures and their roofs are now more vulnerable to storm than at the time initially insured."

Click here for Mold & Insurance & Litigation: Kravis opts to fix roofs, pursue $29 million suit against carriers Lexington, Allied World Assurance and Allianz (Palm Beach Daily News, FL - Aug 3, 2005)

The family's home was damaged by September's hurricanes and the resulting mold exceeded the homeowner insurance limits. After getting a Home Disaster Loan through the Small Business Administration, the couple decided preventing future destruction should be included in the repair, said Lori Wood.

Click here for Mold & Insurance: Got hurricane shutters? Check your insurance for discounts (Stuart News, FL - Aug 4, 2005)

But in Florida, the most recent data available from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) shows that the average homeowners' premium was $786 in 2002. The average in Texas was 58% higher. California didn't even make the top ten.

Click here for Mold & Insurance: The Most Expensive States To Insure Your Home 2005 (Forbes - Aug 4, 2005)

The Koch family near Battle Creek initially won a jury trial against Farm Bureau Insurance. Jurors had ordered the company to pay $181,000 to clean up black mold in the home.

Click here for Mold & Insurance & Litigation: $181,000 Verdict Against Farm Bureau Insurance Thrown Out (WWMT, MI - Aug 4, 2005)

According to John Schulte, executive director of NADCA: "Because of the Environmental Education Foundation's recognition from the insurance and lending communities for their water intrusion and mold management program, they have now been contracted by the EPA to expand this program to include additional IAQ related items. This expanded program includes the use of the EPA's IAQ Building Education and Assessment Model (I-BEAM) software as an anchor for a total IAQ management program. NADCA has worked with the EEF and other industry partners to refine, rework, and promote EPA's IAQ Guidelines to establish best IAQ practices and facilitate implementation of those practices by stakeholders, including insurance companies, financial institutions, and facilities in general. NADCA has assisted with the process by being a resource for HVAC-related IAQ issues, document review, two-way communication and industry/marketing outreach."

Click here for Mold & Technology: HVAC Industry Group Takes Advisory Role in EPA Indoor Air Quality Program (GreenBiz, DC - Aug 2, 2005)

The Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund honors the bravery and dedication exhibited by Americans in our armed forces who have sacrificed life or limb by providing educational scholarships to their children. The Scholarship Fund is heavily supported by Sean Hannity, who is featuring Zero Plus(TM) on his daily call-in radio talk show, "The Sean Hannity Show." One hundred percent of Scholarship Fund donations go to the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund. With Sean Hannity's support, the Scholarship Fund has raised over 4 million dollars and given out hundreds of scholarships over the past two years.

Click here for Mold & Technology: Electric Aquagenics Unlimited (EAU) Launches Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative With Its Support of the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund (CSRwire.com - Aug 4, 2005)

The Bartleby.com edition of Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body features 1,247 vibrant engravings— many in color—from the classic 1918 publication, as well as a subject index with 13,000 entries ranging from the Antrum of Highmore to the Zonule of Zinn.

Click here For Fun (sort of!): Gray’s Anatomy On-Line