While Penicillin is a drug manufactured from mold and is used around the world to help fight infections, there are other kinds of penicillium molds that can cause disease. A species of penicillium that is native to Southeast Asia, has been known to cause infections in the region where HIV and AIDs have become epidemic and the condition resulting from these infections has been named Penicilliosis.
Penicilliosis is a kind of infection that is caused by the mold Penicillium marneffei and studies show that it currently the third most occurring opportunistic infection in individuals infected with HIV and AIDS in Southeast Asia. This fungus occurs in high numbers throughout the region and is generally restricted to the area.
As with all molds, it is a fungus at room temperature, but when it makes its way into the body and is heated up to body temperature, it becomes a yeast. The symptoms of such an infection can include skin lesions, generalized lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, anemia, and fever; abdominal pain has also been noted along with weight loss. Sometimes the skin lesions can appear on the ears, fingers, toes, genitalia, and on the face. Cases of pneumonia have been reported to occur, as well. The most often occurring symptom of penicilliosis is a skin rash that forms small bumps on the surface of the skin and they often have ulceration and this commonly happens on the upper part of the body.
While the mold that causes this condition is endemic to Southeast Asia, anyone traveling to the region is at risk to become infected; however, it rarely occurs in individuals who do not have a weakened immune system. Anyone who has HIV or AIDS is advised to either be extremely careful if traveling to the region or to not travel to the region at all.
Without treatment, these infections have quite a high mortality rate and even with treatment, the mortality rate hovers at around twenty percent. Before AIDS became an epidemic, cases of this mold causing any kind of infection were rare.
Biopses of lymph nodes, bone marrow, and skin lesions can detect the presence of the fungi. The fungal cultures that are grown from the swabbing of skin lesions or other samples taken from a person’s body are characterized by a flat green surface and a deep red color underneath. Antifungal therapy with amphotericin, followed by maintenance treatment with a drug called itraconazole is recommended.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New Jersey mold damage restoration and other states and cities such as
Connecticut mold remediation companies across the united states.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Mold in the Bible
Insurance adjusters are terribly fond of telling people that mold has been around long before human beings walked the earth and that it is not as big of a deal as the modern day medical community is making it out to be, however what many of these people don’t know (or are banking that their clients don’t know) is that mold has been a problem ever since Biblical times and probably before.
The book of Leviticus speaks of a mold contaminated home in chapter 14:39-47. A priest was said to remove the stones in the home that were contaminated with mold and they were to be taken to a place outside of town that was used to dump things that were considered “unclean”. If the mold (or mildew) came back after all these stones were removed, then the entire house was to be torn down. It was considered to be a defiled place to live in and that also any clothing that was contaminated with it was to be shown to the priest and thrown away, as well.
The eighth plague of Egypt, the locusts, would have caused the Egyptians to collect as many crops from the field as possible and store them underground (where it is moist and dark). It is speculated that the reason for the deaths of the first born children of Egypt was mold that contaminated the crops and when fed to children, would cause disease and if enough was ingested, death. The Bible says that the eldest child received double portions of food in those times and a theory says that this is the reason that the firstborn alone died: he/she was the only child who had eaten enough of the mold for it to be fatal. Stachybotrys atra, along with other kinds of mold, releases mycotoxins and if this was present in the grain that the Egyptians stored underground after the plague of locusts, then anyone who consumed it would have become ill. It is said that the Jews living in Egypt at the time would have been eating herbs, unleavened bread, and lamb, which are supposedly safe from being contaminated by this mold.
So, if your insurance adjuster claims that mold was not a problem years ago and that mold has been around longer than we have, take a Bible and show him the book of Leviticus. Even if he’s not religious, seeing mold talked about in a text over 2,000 years old should be enough to take back his statements.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood water damage restoration chicago and other states such as
South Carolina mold remediation companies across the united states.
The book of Leviticus speaks of a mold contaminated home in chapter 14:39-47. A priest was said to remove the stones in the home that were contaminated with mold and they were to be taken to a place outside of town that was used to dump things that were considered “unclean”. If the mold (or mildew) came back after all these stones were removed, then the entire house was to be torn down. It was considered to be a defiled place to live in and that also any clothing that was contaminated with it was to be shown to the priest and thrown away, as well.
The eighth plague of Egypt, the locusts, would have caused the Egyptians to collect as many crops from the field as possible and store them underground (where it is moist and dark). It is speculated that the reason for the deaths of the first born children of Egypt was mold that contaminated the crops and when fed to children, would cause disease and if enough was ingested, death. The Bible says that the eldest child received double portions of food in those times and a theory says that this is the reason that the firstborn alone died: he/she was the only child who had eaten enough of the mold for it to be fatal. Stachybotrys atra, along with other kinds of mold, releases mycotoxins and if this was present in the grain that the Egyptians stored underground after the plague of locusts, then anyone who consumed it would have become ill. It is said that the Jews living in Egypt at the time would have been eating herbs, unleavened bread, and lamb, which are supposedly safe from being contaminated by this mold.
So, if your insurance adjuster claims that mold was not a problem years ago and that mold has been around longer than we have, take a Bible and show him the book of Leviticus. Even if he’s not religious, seeing mold talked about in a text over 2,000 years old should be enough to take back his statements.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood water damage restoration chicago and other states such as
South Carolina mold remediation companies across the united states.
Keeping Mold Out of Household Items
If you have a water bottle or you are a parent who has baby bottles and you are constantly having to replace them due to the insides (or the lids) becoming moldy, there is hope. Sometimes the odd shapes of the bottles are what keep them from drying out completely and when they do not dry all the way, mold starts to grow. The best thing that you can do to prevent mold from growing in your baby bottles is to not even bother trying to dry the inside completely after you’ve washed them. Simply dry the outside, dry as much of the inside as you can, and then stick them in the freezer. Many people put things like flour and cornmeal into the freezer to protect them from mice, bugs, and other pests, so why not do this to stop mold?
Clothes can also be a good source of food for mold, but some people are at a loss as to what they can do to stop mold from growing in their closets. The first thing that you can do is not pack your clothes in the closet so tightly together. Allowing air to circulate through the closet and amongst the clothing will hinder the mold’s growth.
Tossing dirty, damp clothes or towels into the bathroom closet or on the floor anywhere and just leaving them there can also cause mold to grow. Mold needs moisture, warmth, and a source of nutrients.
Mold has also been known to grow in mattresses that have gotten wet and have been allowed to dry naturally. Mattresses that are re-used over and over, especially in baby beds, are unsanitary and should be thrown away if they are found to be contaminated with mold. A study that comes from New Zealand says that when mold gets into a mattress (particularly Scopularipsis brevicaulis) and begins to feed on the mattress material. The danger of this is that the mattress probably contains antimony, arsenic, or phosphorus are used as fire retardants by law in some places. The mold digests these chemicals and as all organisms do when they digest something, gases are released back into the air. These gases are toxic to human beings and it is speculated in New Zealand that this is the main cause of crib death and it is not “unavoidable”, as many North American studies claim
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
North Carolina Sewage Damage Cleanup and other states such as
South Carolina mold remediation companies across the united states.
Clothes can also be a good source of food for mold, but some people are at a loss as to what they can do to stop mold from growing in their closets. The first thing that you can do is not pack your clothes in the closet so tightly together. Allowing air to circulate through the closet and amongst the clothing will hinder the mold’s growth.
Tossing dirty, damp clothes or towels into the bathroom closet or on the floor anywhere and just leaving them there can also cause mold to grow. Mold needs moisture, warmth, and a source of nutrients.
Mold has also been known to grow in mattresses that have gotten wet and have been allowed to dry naturally. Mattresses that are re-used over and over, especially in baby beds, are unsanitary and should be thrown away if they are found to be contaminated with mold. A study that comes from New Zealand says that when mold gets into a mattress (particularly Scopularipsis brevicaulis) and begins to feed on the mattress material. The danger of this is that the mattress probably contains antimony, arsenic, or phosphorus are used as fire retardants by law in some places. The mold digests these chemicals and as all organisms do when they digest something, gases are released back into the air. These gases are toxic to human beings and it is speculated in New Zealand that this is the main cause of crib death and it is not “unavoidable”, as many North American studies claim
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
North Carolina Sewage Damage Cleanup and other states such as
South Carolina mold remediation companies across the united states.
How to Test For Mold
The basic idea of mold test kits is to detect the mold in your home first of all and then secondly, to send off the test samples to a mold laboratory for analysis and so they can identify just what kinds of mold you have living in your home. If you have one kind of mold in your house, odds are that you have at least a second.
If you see mold growing on your wall, floor, ceiling, or your air conditioning system, you can use scotch tape to lift mold particles off of the moldy area and onto the surface of the mold test kit. You could also scrape the mold particles off of the surface with a knife or other item, but this is not recommended because it will stir up the spores. Doing this barehanded is also not recommended; do not touch mold with your bare hands. Use some kind of glove, preferably latex, if possible. After you collect the mold into the test, even if you used gloves, wash your hands thoroughly. Do this even if you’re going to go and test another area of the home, because you don’t want to cross-contaminate the sites.
After you are done, you should print your name, the name of whoever owns the property, the address, and the exact location of that particular test sample, the date, and the kind of sampling method you used. Also include the duration of the test in minutes or hours, along with the person’s name who conducted the test and how they can be contacted.
Take samples from your air conditioning ducts. You should run the air conditioner on its fan setting for about ten minutes before you do the test and you should tape the test kit to the grill of the duct so the air hits the sticky surface directly.
Testing each room, basement, attic, garage, and any kind of crawl space is also necessary. Use a fan to stir up the air in the room for about 10 to 15 minutes before testing.
Also test the outdoor environment for mold to have something to compare the indoor results to.
If there is a kind of mold that exists in the indoor tests that does not exist in the outdoor tests, then the cause of that mold is restricted to the indoor environment and is not coming from the outside. This mold is being generated from the inside of the home and you should do your best to find the cause in the area where that test was taken.
After you’ve looked at the tests yourself (wearing gloves and eye protection), have them sent to a mold laboratory for analysis and identification. They will send you back the results and after that, calling in a professional mold remediation specialist is necessary.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood water damage restoration chicago and other states such as
New Jersey mold remediation contractor companies across the united states.
If you see mold growing on your wall, floor, ceiling, or your air conditioning system, you can use scotch tape to lift mold particles off of the moldy area and onto the surface of the mold test kit. You could also scrape the mold particles off of the surface with a knife or other item, but this is not recommended because it will stir up the spores. Doing this barehanded is also not recommended; do not touch mold with your bare hands. Use some kind of glove, preferably latex, if possible. After you collect the mold into the test, even if you used gloves, wash your hands thoroughly. Do this even if you’re going to go and test another area of the home, because you don’t want to cross-contaminate the sites.
After you are done, you should print your name, the name of whoever owns the property, the address, and the exact location of that particular test sample, the date, and the kind of sampling method you used. Also include the duration of the test in minutes or hours, along with the person’s name who conducted the test and how they can be contacted.
Take samples from your air conditioning ducts. You should run the air conditioner on its fan setting for about ten minutes before you do the test and you should tape the test kit to the grill of the duct so the air hits the sticky surface directly.
Testing each room, basement, attic, garage, and any kind of crawl space is also necessary. Use a fan to stir up the air in the room for about 10 to 15 minutes before testing.
Also test the outdoor environment for mold to have something to compare the indoor results to.
If there is a kind of mold that exists in the indoor tests that does not exist in the outdoor tests, then the cause of that mold is restricted to the indoor environment and is not coming from the outside. This mold is being generated from the inside of the home and you should do your best to find the cause in the area where that test was taken.
After you’ve looked at the tests yourself (wearing gloves and eye protection), have them sent to a mold laboratory for analysis and identification. They will send you back the results and after that, calling in a professional mold remediation specialist is necessary.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood water damage restoration chicago and other states such as
New Jersey mold remediation contractor companies across the united states.
Here Is How To Prevent House Fires
Fires happen all over the world, but the fires that happen inside a person’s home are often the most preventable and all it takes is a little diligence and some common sense to discover what the fire hazards in your home are and how to get rid of them when you find them.
It is a fact that most house fires happen in the kitchen. Even though a great number of these small stove fires go unreported because they do not do any damage, you really need to learn what you can do to prevent them from happening in the first place, because it only takes a second or two for a small fire to spread into a much larger one. House fire prevention begins in the kitchen by learning that you should never leave anything on the stove unattended unless it is an emergency and you should never leave the house to go and run errands during this time unless someone is going to be there to keep an eye on the cooking.
You also need to be careful with deep fryers and electric skillets. Any appliance that emits a large amount of heat needs to be monitored consistently to make sure that it does not overheat and catch on fire and you should not ever have to use an extension cord with these. Small extension cords like the ones you would use for lamps will NOT work and will melt. If you must use an extension cord, make sure it is a heavy duty one with a gauge of at least 14.
Heating shortening and oil in the kitchen also poses a significant problem, since it is so flammable. Heat these slowly so that they do not burn and do not catch on fire and if you have to leave the room, turn them off or have someone watch them for you.
Space heaters are also a big problem during the winter time and like with deep fryers and electric skillets, do not use an extension cord with these. Do not place them near drapes or other fabric items and keep children away from them. Also try not to leave them on overnight while you are sleeping unless you absolutely have to and even then, make sure you take the necessary steps to keep flammable items away from them. Do not use these in the bedrooms of small children due to the amount of flammable stuffed animals, pillows, and blankets that are likely to be there.
The worst thing that you can do is let yourself become comfortable with these appliances and allow yourself to think that you know what you are doing and a fire cannot happen to you. Letting your guard down in this manner is what causes a large amount of house fires.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut water damage restoration contractors and other states such as
North Carolina mold remediation contractor companies across the united states.
It is a fact that most house fires happen in the kitchen. Even though a great number of these small stove fires go unreported because they do not do any damage, you really need to learn what you can do to prevent them from happening in the first place, because it only takes a second or two for a small fire to spread into a much larger one. House fire prevention begins in the kitchen by learning that you should never leave anything on the stove unattended unless it is an emergency and you should never leave the house to go and run errands during this time unless someone is going to be there to keep an eye on the cooking.
You also need to be careful with deep fryers and electric skillets. Any appliance that emits a large amount of heat needs to be monitored consistently to make sure that it does not overheat and catch on fire and you should not ever have to use an extension cord with these. Small extension cords like the ones you would use for lamps will NOT work and will melt. If you must use an extension cord, make sure it is a heavy duty one with a gauge of at least 14.
Heating shortening and oil in the kitchen also poses a significant problem, since it is so flammable. Heat these slowly so that they do not burn and do not catch on fire and if you have to leave the room, turn them off or have someone watch them for you.
Space heaters are also a big problem during the winter time and like with deep fryers and electric skillets, do not use an extension cord with these. Do not place them near drapes or other fabric items and keep children away from them. Also try not to leave them on overnight while you are sleeping unless you absolutely have to and even then, make sure you take the necessary steps to keep flammable items away from them. Do not use these in the bedrooms of small children due to the amount of flammable stuffed animals, pillows, and blankets that are likely to be there.
The worst thing that you can do is let yourself become comfortable with these appliances and allow yourself to think that you know what you are doing and a fire cannot happen to you. Letting your guard down in this manner is what causes a large amount of house fires.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut water damage restoration contractors and other states such as
North Carolina mold remediation contractor companies across the united states.
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