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Tuesday, 27 June 2006

Monday Morning Mold (Mycology) - June 26, 2006

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Monday Morning Mold (Mycology) - June 26, 2006
Mold (Mycology) in the Media
June 26, 2006
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Mold (Mycology) Stories - from Cynthia Anne Coulter (Mulvihill) of Hyde Mulvihill, APC
-- Returning New Orleans Residents at Risk for Serious Respiratory Ailments - STUDY FINDS HIGH MOLD LEVELS IN POST-KATRINA NEW ORLEANS AIR (Natural Resources Defense Council, NY - Jun 16, 2006)
-- Aspergillus versicolor causes Early Retirement (Hampton Union, NH - Jun 13, 2006)
-- Doctors plan surveillance of aspergillus (The Age, Australia - Jun 16, 2006)
-- EFSA sets intake limit for ochratoxin A toxin (FoodProductionDaily.com, France - Jun 15, 2006)
-- Hospital admits deaths due to fungus exposure (Border Mail, Australia - Jun 15, 2006)
-- Portable unit decontaminates Mold using UVC rays (FoodProductionDaily.com, France - Jun 8, 2006)
-- Mold Education: Aspergillosis
-- Court Mold: State Farm's alleged mishandling of insurance claims invites lawsuit (Mortage 101 - Jun 21, 2006)
-- Mold Litigation: All that glitters is not mold (nwitimes.com, IN - Jun 24, 2006)
-- Mold Litigation: Home Solutions of America, Inc. Responds To Alleged Frivolous Lawsuit (Business Wire, CA - Jun 21, 2006)
-- Mold & Investment: Tommy Franks takes up fight against mold (Bizjournals.com, NC - Jun 7, 2006)
-- Mold & Technology: CogniScent's New Sensor Patent Enables Odor Detection Opportunities in Security, Medical and Industrial Markets (Business Wire - Jun 26, 2006)
-- Mold & Technology: American Mold Guard Increases Presence on Gulf Coast (Insurance Journal - Jun 14, 2006)
-- Mold Professionals: Cynthia Coulter Mulvihill (Mold Litigation Consulting)
-- For Fun: Mentos & Diet Coke Explosion

 

Good Morning,

This week's photo is Aspergillus versicolor from the Center for Microbial Biotechnology website.

Hot tips on mold? Please e- mail them to Cynthia A. Coulter at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it


Returning New Orleans Residents at Risk for Serious Respiratory Ailments - STUDY FINDS HIGH MOLD LEVELS IN POST-KATRINA NEW ORLEANS AIR (Natural Resources Defense Council, NY - Jun 16, 2006)
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SAN FRANCISCO (June 15, 2006) -- Airborne mold levels left in New Orleans pose a "significant respiratory hazard" to residents returning to the devastated city in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, according to a paper published today on the website of the peer-reviewed scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

The paper -- the first scientific study of New Orleans air quality since Hurricane Katrina -- was published by a team of researchers from the University of Colorado, Boulder; University of California, Berkeley; and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The researchers did the study in collaboration with New Orleans community groups.

Click here for Returning New Orleans Residents at Risk for Serious Respiratory Ailments - STUDY FINDS HIGH MOLD LEVELS IN POST-KATRINA NEW ORLEANS AIR (Natural Resources Defense Council, NY - Jun 16, 2006)


Aspergillus versicolor causes Early Retirement (Hampton Union, NH - Jun 13, 2006)
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HAMPTON —- Officer Tom Linane, who was the school resource officer at Hampton Academy, will be retiring from the Hampton Police Department on disability. The 18-year veteran has been on sick leave since 2005 after he was exposed to toxic mold that was growing in his office at the school.

“It’s been a tough 18 months,” Linane said. “I’m doing a lot better than I was. I have great doctors that are taking care of me and I’m doing OK.” Town Manager James Barrington confirmed Linane’s request to retire on disability was approved by the state.

Click here for Aspergillus versicolor causes Early Retirement (Hampton Union, NH - Jun 13, 2006)


Doctors plan surveillance of aspergillus (The Age, Australia - Jun 16, 2006)
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INFECTIOUS disease experts want to set up a surveillance system of the airborne fungus aspergillus to better understand and monitor the infection.

The head of infectious diseases and infection control at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Monica Slavin, said infectious disease physicians and scientists were discussing the best way to establish such a system.

Click here for Doctors plan surveillance of aspergillus (The Age, Australia - Jun 16, 2006)


EFSA sets intake limit for ochratoxin A toxin (FoodProductionDaily.com, France - Jun 15, 2006)
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15/06/2006 - The EU's food safety agency has set a weekly intake limit for ochratoxin A, calling on processors to make further efforts to reduce the fungal toxin in foods. The setting of a limit by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) could mean further measures will have to be taken by processors to minimise the levels of the toxin in their food products. The main sources of human ingestion of Ochratoxin A (OTA) are cereals and cereal products, pulses, coffee, beer, grape juice, dry vine fruits and wine, cacao products, nuts and spices.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin naturally produced by certain fungi such as the Penicillium and Aspergillus species. Mycotoxins such as OTA are formed as crops grow or more commonly develop later during storage and have been reported as contaminants in food commodities. Human exposure to OTA has been confirmed through the detection of the mycotoxin in the blood, urine and milk samples of healthy subjects.

Click here for EFSA sets intake limit for ochratoxin A toxin (FoodProductionDaily.com, France - Jun 15, 2006)


Hospital admits deaths due to fungus exposure (Border Mail, Australia - Jun 15, 2006)
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MELBOURNE’S leading cancer hospital has admitted that three of its patients died from being exposed to a fungus in its intensive care unit, but has played down fears of any further deaths. The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, in East Melbourne, said an investigation was started into the patient deaths, which happened over a six-month period and were caused by exposure to the fungus aspergillus.

All three patients were treated in the hospital’s intensive care unit where the fungus was detected on May 31. The fungus poses a grave risk to people whose immune systems are suppressed, such as cancer patients, but is generally not a risk for healthy people. The cancer centre’s chief executive, Craig Bennett, said aspergillus was found after a patient being treated for advanced cancer in the ICU died in May from aspergillosis.

Click here for Hospital admits deaths due to fungus exposure (Border Mail, Australia - Jun 15, 2006)


Portable unit decontaminates Mold using UVC rays (FoodProductionDaily.com, France - Jun 8, 2006)
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08/06/2006 - A portable decontamination machine can rid plant areas of mold, viruses and bacteria using deadly UVC waves, while ensuring worker safety, according to its manufacturer. Tougher food safety and hygiene regulations have put the onus on processors to ensure the safety of their products. Recalls and a loss of consumer confidence due to contaminated products on the market can be costly for food processers .

Steril-Aire claims its Remedial In-Room Decontamination System (RIDS), provides a safe and effective way to decontaminate surfaces infested with moulds, such as Stachybotrys and Aspergillus, viruses and bacteria. The mobile unit uses high output Ultra-Violet C energy, a wavelength used in ultraviolet sterilisers to kill harmful bacteria. This wavelength is extremely dangerous and can damage human DNA.

Click here for Portable unit decontaminates Mold using UVC rays (FoodProductionDaily.com, France - Jun 8, 2006)


Mold Education: Aspergillosis
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Description. Aspergillosis is a large spectrum of diseases caused by members of the genus Aspergillus (see Table below). The three principal entities are: allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, pulmonary aspergilloma and invasive aspergillosis. Colonization of the respiratory tract is also common. The clinical manifestation and severity of the disease depends upon the immunologic state of the patient. Lowered host resistance due to such factors as underlying debilitating disease, neutropenia chemotherapy, disruption of normal flora, and an inflammatory response due to the use of antimicrobial agents and steroids can predispose the patient to colonization, invasive disease, or both. Aspergillus spp. are frequently secondary opportunistic pathogens in patients with bronchiectasis, carcinoma, other mycoses, sarcoid, and tuberculosis.

Prognosis. Prognosis depends upon the type and severity of disease as well as the immunological status of the patient. Allergic aspergillosis is typically a chronic entity, but evolves from episodes of acute corticosteroid-responsive asthma to fibrotic end- stage lung disease. Allergic aspergillosis has been successfully treated with corticosteroids, and intraconazole. The prolonged use of steroids in cases of chronic aspergillosis should be approached with caution.

Click here for Mold Education: Aspergillosis


Court Mold: State Farm's alleged mishandling of insurance claims invites lawsuit (Mortage 101 - Jun 21, 2006)
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Magda Benavides purchased her ground-floor condominium in 1994. Seven years later, mold was found in the exterior walls adjacent to her unit. Benavides' physician advised her to move out. She submitted a claim to her condominium owner's insurance company, State Farm, which hired a civil engineer to investigate. State Farm later denied the claim because it was an excluded loss, which was not caused by an insured peril. The insurer pointed to its policy exclusion for mold.

Benavides also filed a claim based on water intrusion damage from an upstairs unit. Water leaked into Benavides' kitchen and living room during remodeling of the second-floor condo, which was promptly repaired by the neighbor. The insured condo owner brought this lawsuit against State Farm for alleged negligent investigation of her insurance policy claims

Click here for Court Mold: State Farm's alleged mishandling of insurance claims invites lawsuit (Mortage 101 - Jun 21, 2006)


Mold Litigation: All that glitters is not mold (nwitimes.com, IN - Jun 24, 2006)
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The house isn't an oldie, but it's certainly a moldy. Bill and Kathie Sanders moved from Calumet City to their newly built Roselawn home in 2003. In October, they abandoned the building, turning it back over to their mortgage company in lieu of foreclosure.

The proliferation of toxic mold has made the home unlivable, and the couple had to leave all their contaminated furniture, including sentimental antique pieces like Bill's late mother's rocking chair. I wrote about their plight in May 2004, a year after they'd moved in and about 11 months after they first found the mold, which turned out to be strachybotrys, a water activity mold that is not only allergenic but toxic.

Click here for Mold Litigation: All that glitters is not mold (nwitimes.com, IN - Jun 24, 2006)


Mold Litigation: Home Solutions of America, Inc. Responds To Alleged Frivolous Lawsuit (Business Wire, CA - Jun 21, 2006)
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DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 21, 2006--Home Solutions of America, Inc. (AMEX: HOM), a provider of recovery, restoration and rebuilding/remodeling services, responded today to a frivolous lawsuit purportedly filed by a law firm on behalf of investors. The alleged law suit is completely without merit. While Home Solutions has not been served with the complaint, the Company continues to affirm its guidance for fiscal 2006.

Home Solutions is a provider of recovery, restoration and rebuilding/remodeling services to commercial and residential areas that are (i) prone to flooding, hurricanes, tornados, fires or other naturally occurring and repetitive weather related emergencies; and/or (ii) experiencing robust housing development. The Company has operations in California, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina through its five subsidiaries, Cornerstone Building and Remodeling, Southern Exposure, P.W. Stephens, Home Solutions Restoration of Louisiana and Fiber Seal Systems.

Click here for Mold Litigation: Home Solutions of America, Inc. Responds To Alleged Frivolous Lawsuit (Business Wire, CA - Jun 21, 2006)


Mold & Investment: Tommy Franks takes up fight against mold (Bizjournals.com, NC - Jun 7, 2006)
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Retired General Tommy Franks has joined Innovative Decon Solutions, a Tampa mold remediation company, as a partner. The company has developed a decontamination process to eliminate mold and other contaminants in schools, hospitals, government facilities and public and private buildings. The process was originally developed for the U.S. military to fight chemical and biological warfare agents in the Gulf War and now has been reformulated for public and private use.

"Innovative Decon Solutions has perfected this process and come up with something truly revolutionary to address the growing national crisis of indoor air problems," said Franks said in a media release. "I truly believe we are on the brink of a technology explosion in this country that will address the growing indoor air quality problem and the public's right to breathe clean air."

Click here for Mold & Investment: Tommy Franks takes up fight against mold (Bizjournals.com, NC - Jun 7, 2006)


Mold & Technology: CogniScent's New Sensor Patent Enables Odor Detection Opportunities in Security, Medical and Industrial Markets (Business Wire - Jun 26, 2006)
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NORTH GRAFTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 26, 2006--CogniScent, a leading developer of high- performance systems to detect volatile chemical compounds, today announced that it has received a United States Patent for its proprietary DNA-based sensor material to be used with its innovative ScenTraK(TM) odor-detection technology.

CogniScent's newly patented DNA-based sensing material makes millions of potential sensor variants available and permits the high-throughput screening of individual sensors to find optimal sets for particular problems. It is then possible to produce large quantities of these sensors using current, straightforward, synthetic techniques.

Click here for Mold & Technology: CogniScent's New Sensor Patent Enables Odor Detection Opportunities in Security, Medical and Industrial Markets (Business Wire - Jun 26, 2006)


Mold & Technology: American Mold Guard Increases Presence on Gulf Coast (Insurance Journal - Jun 14, 2006)
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Mold prevention company American Mold Guard Inc. announced the addition of two new service centers along the Gulf Coast to aid in post-Katrina restoration and new home construction efforts.

AMG opened the new service centers in St. Bernard Parish, La., and Biloxi, Miss., to meet demand for mold prevention expertise, which has risen rapidly since the company opened its first location in New Orleans shortly after Katrina.

Click here for Mold & Technology: American Mold Guard Increases Presence on Gulf Coast (Insurance Journal - Jun 14, 2006)


Mold Professionals: Cynthia Coulter Mulvihill (Mold Litigation Consulting)
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Cynthia Coulter Mulvihill Cynthia Coulter Mulvihill is a California licensed attorney, admitted to practice in California state and federal courts. She has been the editor and publisher of Monday Morning Mold (Mycology) since 2002.

Ms. Mulvihill provides consulting services to Plaintiffs and Claimants - or potential Plaintiffs and Claimants; Defendants and potential defendants; attorneys; contractors; subcontractors; expert witnesses, remediators, etc. Ms. Mulvihill provides consulting services only. Her initial 15-minute consultation is free.

Ms. Mulvihill's confidential services include, depending on who she is retained by, and when:

  • Analysis of property damage and personal injuries
  • Conducting a property inspection
  • Reviewing medical records
  • Determination of the potential for a causal link between mycological issues and personal injuries
  • Research of what needs to be done to prove -- or disprove -- property damage, personal injuries, and their causal links
  • Determination what entity or entities might have caused property damage
  • Reviewing insurance policies to determine if insurance coverage is available for the claims
  • Determination what kind of expert or experts need to be retained to prove or disprove a case
  • Preparation of expert witnesses for depositions
  • Preparation of written discovery
  • Preparation of attorneys for questioning of expert witnesses
Ms. Mulvihill's work is, in general, protected by the attorney-client and attorney work-product privileges.

 

Click here for Mold Professionals: Cynthia Coulter Mulvihill (Mold Litigation Consulting)


For Fun: Mentos & Diet Coke Explosion
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What happens when you put a handful of Mentos candy into a bottle of diet soda? As many fans of Web video have found out, the results are pretty explosive.

But it's no secret -- folks are taking video cameras and posting images of their homemade soda explosions on the Internet -- and there is actually a scientific explanation.

Click here For Fun: Mentos & Diet Coke Explosion


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