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Can Mold, Yeast, and Non-specific Bacteria Cause Bladder Problems?

March 2, 2011 By

Question: I love your blog and hope you can answer this mold question.

I worked at a beauty salon for 1 1/2 years. I started to have back to back urinary tract infections (Escherichia coli). I’ve had these infections a couple of times in my 40+ years on earth but nothing like I was experiencing this time around. It felt like someone lined my bladder with vicks vapor rub and added some pins. The antibiotics I was prescribed made the pain worse. A client of mine (she came every week and spent a long time under the dryer) was experiencing the same thing. About 2 weeks after the bladder pain started, I started having difficulty breathing (I was diagnosed with moderate lung obstruction) and I was placed on an inhaler. I then noticed a fungal rash on my arms I had to treat with Monistat (it cleared up in 6 days). My symptoms started in early June after a flood in the shop which I suspect could have caused mold growth. Dehumidifiers were bought in and ran all day for a couple of days. By August I had to leave because it was just too difficult to breath, take a flight of stairs etc. My urologist couldn’t find the cause of the pain and an internal view of my bladder found nothing. Can mold, yeast, and non-specific bacteria found in these reports cause bladder problems? The pain got significantly better a week after I left. The pain went away completely after about 2 months away from the salon.

The owner decided to have an air quality test for mold done because a girl that rented the room prior to me complained of breathing difficulties only when she was at work. I attached the mold report for you to look at.

Thanks!

Answer: Escherichia coli (E. coli in short) is a bacterium commonly found in the lower digestive tract of warm-blooded animals including humans. Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some strains, such as serotype O157:H7, can cause serious food poisoning. E. coli is also a common cause of urinary tract infections. Infection occurs when E. coli from the digestive tract find their way into the urethra and begin to multiply. The bacterium can move to the bladder and multiply there causing infection of the bladder. I have looked at the lab report that you had attached. The molds reported are unlikely to cause infection. A possible fungal infection of the bladder especially when one has been using antibiotics is Candida infection (candidiasis). Candida can infect other areas of the body including the mouth, throat, skin, scalp, genitals, fingers, nails, bronchi, lungs, and the gastrointestinal tract.

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Sampling For Airborne Fungal Spores

February 20, 2011 By
Fungal spores Aspergillus Penicillium

Reasons for Conducting Air Sampling For Fungal Spores

Sampling for airborne fungal spores may be conducted for a number of reasons including assessing the air quality, detection of pathogenic organisms, epidemiological surveys and predictions, detection of mycotoxin producing fungi, or detection and measurement of exposure to allergenic fungi and actinomycetes. Before sampling for airborne fungal spores it’s important to have a clear objective and the data that would meet that objective. Some of these objectives require counting and identification of the airborne fungal particulates. A well calibrated pump is therefore required. The method of sampling, the equipment and the media are determined by the data required. For example if one is interested in species identification, then they would collect culturable air samples using an Andersen or RCS sampler.

Methods for Sampling for Airborne Fungal Spores

Culturable Air Samples

If the air was sampled by impaction onto a growth media, then the samples are first incubated at suitable temperature followed by counting and identification of resulting colonies (if any). A number of factors may affect the reliability of the colony counts data. These include the suitability of the agar media used for sampling, colony density, and presence of fast growing isolates. Some agar media are highly selective and therefore would not suitable when the objective was to determine the diversity of fungal species in the air. If the colony density is very high, then counting becomes difficult. In the presence of fast growing isolates, slow growing isolates are masked and hence difficult to count.

Non-culturable Air Samples

The second method of air sampling is where the air is impacted on inert medium, usually a filter membrane or adhesive-coated slide. The collection medium is then analyzed by transmitted light microscopy (popularly known as direct microscopic examination), typically at 600–1000 × magnification. A number of different collection devices may be used for spore trap sampling of which the most common are slit or circular impactors such as the Air-O-Cell®, Allergenco D, Micro 5, Cyclex D and other similar cassettes. Mixed cellulose ester membrane (MCEM) filters are also occasionally used.

Choose Your Spore Trap Analytical Labs Wisely

Identification of airborne fungal spores to species can only be accomplished by an experienced mycologist. Similarly, spore trap analysis requires considerable skill and experience on the part of the analyst to identify spores accurately, and to differentiate them from other airborne particulate. In most cases identification of airborne fungal spores by direct microscopic examination is limited to genus. In some cases identification of spores to specific genus is difficult. A good spore trap analyst requires several years of experience. A recent multi-laboratory comparative study of spore trap analyses found that only 75% of commercial accredited labs could consistently identify correctly Cladosporium spores and only 50% could identify Aspergillus/Penicillium-like spores consistently. The level of experience required for species identification or spore trap analysis cannot be attained in a short time, and it cannot easily be acquired by individuals lacking advanced training in mycology or plant pathology.

Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories is accredited by CALA to the Internationally recognized ISO/IEC 17025:2005. For a full scope of accredited tests click Scope of Accreditation.

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What Is Deemed Acceptable Indoor Airborne Mold Spore Levels In Ontario?

February 11, 2011 By

Question: Is there any government or industry standard as to what is deemed an acceptable indoor airborne mold spore levels in Ontario? The electrical inspector refuses to come on our property even though we have had several air test performed. The qualified tester says we have samples of mold but found them to be acceptable. I was hoping for some clarity on this matter.

Answer: Currently there is no government or industry standard as to what is deemed acceptable indoor airborne mold spore levels. However, it’s generally agreed that mold in indoor environments is a health hazard. However, the higher the airborne mold spore levels in a building the higher the health risk. In 2007 Health Canada published the Residential Indoor Air Quality Guidelines: Moulds.

This is what Health Canada’s Residential Indoor Air Quality Guidelines say about exposure limits:

Health Canada considers that mold growth in residential buildings may pose a health hazard.
Health risks depend on exposure and, for asthma symptoms, on allergic sensitization. However, the
large number of mold species and strains growing in buildings and the large inter-individual variability
in human response to mold exposure preclude the derivation of exposure limits. Therefore, Health Canada recommends:

  • to control humidity and diligently repair any water damage in residences to prevent mold growth; and
  • to clean thoroughly any visible or concealed mold growing in residential buildings.

These recommendations apply regardless of the mold species found to be growing in the building.

Further, in the absence of exposure limits, results from tests for the presence of fungi in air cannot be used to assess risks to the health of building occupants.

So currently there is no acceptable or unacceptable indoor airborne mold Spore levels in Ontario.

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Do You Have The Normal Values For Various Types Of Mold?

February 8, 2011 By

Question: Do you have the normal values for various types of mold, i.e. Cladosporium cladosporioides? Thank you.

Answer: Currently there are no widely accepted normal levels for mold spores. In the literature, 3000 spores per cubic meter of air is quoted as the allergenic threshold for Cladosporium. More recently a figure of 4000 spores per cubic meter of air has been cited. For Alternaria, 100 spores per cubic meter of air is cited in the literature as the allergenic threshold.

References

  • Hollins, P.D., P.S. Kettlewell, M.D. Atkinson, D.B. Stephenson, J.M. Corden, W.M. Millington and J. Mullins. Relationships between airborne fungal spore concentration of Cladosporium and the summer climate at two sites in Britain. International Journal of Biometeorology Volume 48, Number 3, 137-141.
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How Do We Find This Mold And Get Rid of It?

February 7, 2011 By

Question: My son is having a severe allergic reaction to this mold. How do we find it and get rid of it? Could he have gotten in by playing outside in the woods?

Answer: To be able to answer your question, we need more information about this mold. However, if you suspect mold in your home, you may consider bringing in a professional to conduct an investigation.

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How Long do Mould Symptoms Typically Last?

February 5, 2011 By

Question: My question regards how long mould symptoms typically last. I have found what appears to be a mould growing on my window. It is gooey in texture and clear in colour. The window is often wet with condensation to the point it drips down continually for hours on end.

I am not sure if the jelly like characteristic of the mould is because of the water or because that is it’s composition. Recently the mould was disturbed by somebody in our room (they opened the window). My wife had just left the room for a while with our infant daughter (10 months) for medical reasons as this person had to come in. When she came back into the room fifteen minutes or so passed when her nose started running. Being allergic to mould she immediately told me it had been disturbed and she could smell it. She now has had for the last four days what appears to be cold like symptoms. Are these mould symptoms? What should we do? How long do mould symptoms typically last? Does my description of the mould sound at all like anything particularly dangerous? Would this be a danger to our daughter? We don’t actually have anywhere else we could live so this is important to us how we handle it. Could putting plastic window covering that seals with heat keep it from the room or would it disturb it too much? It wasn’t here in the summer but seems to have happened from the washing that we’ve hung in the room drying without any ventilation. We’re concerned for our daughter so if you could let us know asap we’d so appreciate it. As I said, we live in this room and she is in the room nearly 24 hours every day. Thank you for your time.

Answer: I haven’t found any scientific literacy that documents how long mould symptoms last. In my opinion, this could depend on the extent of damage the mould had done on an individual’s health or immune system. The extent of damage will depend on an individual’s resistant to mould exposure. Some people experience mould symptoms only when they are in a mouldy environment.

From the description you’ve given, it’s difficult to tell what type of mould it is and whether it’s dangerous or not. However, all moulds are potentially a health hazard.

Covering the mould with plastic is not a good solution since spores could still find their way into the air you’re breathing. You’ve already identified the cause of the mould growth on the window, that is, condensation due to poor ventilation and the washing that you’ve been hanging in the room.  The solution is to correct the moisture problem and to clean the existing mould. I would suggest you look for a qualified professional who could advise you on how to improve the ventilation, reduce condensation, and also how to remove the mould without spreading spores in the room. Read “ Mold Removal Guidelines ” to learn more about mould removal.

After mould removal the mould symptoms your family is experiencing are likely to disappear.

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Should I Seek Medical Attention?

February 2, 2011 By

Question: I have been sleeping in a damp room with a large amount of mold on the walls for about 4 months (which is in the process of being cleaned). Is this dangerous, should I seek medical attention even though I am in good health?

Answer: If you’re feeling OK then you don’t have to worry. However, I would suggest you have the mold cleaned up as soon as possible. Prolonged (long-term) mold exposure could cause health problems, including asthma, allergies or respiratory problems.

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Is This An Adequate Solution To The Mold Problem?

January 31, 2011 By

Question: I work in a 100 year old wooden building that suffered from flood conditions last fall. The basement is a dirt floor and has very high spore counts and visible mold. The upstairs suffered from visible mold and high mold counts. The remedial work that has taken place is to put a polythene vapour barrier between the basement and the upstairs. Is this an adequate solution to the problem.

Thank you.

Answer: The solution you’ve described sounds inadequate. Any material with visible mold should have been cleaned or replaced if it could not be easily cleaned. The cause of flooding should also have been investigated and corrected. Since there are no mold remediation standards most mold remediators and restoration contractors follow existing mold guidelines. All the guidelines outline procedures to be followed to clean up the mold. Below are some Mold Guidelines and other useful resources.

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Are These Moulds Harmful To Me?

January 28, 2011 By

Question: I have had a Kidney transplant. In the building that we rent we had a test done for mould and found high levels of Penicillium and Aspergillus. With a weakened immune system, are these moulds harmful to me?

Answer: People with weakened immune system (i.e., immuno-compromised or immuno-suppressed individuals) are highly likely to be infected by opportunistic pathogens (disease causing organisms). Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger, for example, cause a disease called invasive aspergillosis in the lungs of immuno-compromised individuals. This happens when immuno-compromised individuals inhale airborne spores which then start growing in the lungs. Penicillium marneffei causes penicilliosis in humans. This may involve skin papules that are acne-like symptoms and also diarrhoea and fever in HIV AIDS patients.

Healthy individuals are usually not susceptible to opportunistic infections from the common saprophytic fungi.

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Could I Save My Clothing, Books, etc After Mold Contamination?

January 27, 2011 By

Question: Hi, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. It is so hard to get any advice on this subject. My apartment had toxic black mold (Stachybotrys, Aspergillus, and Penicillium). It was a small area under a window. I was very sick and still do not know if I was just “sick” (flu like) or if it was the mold. Anyhow I moved out in May, and have been trying to salvage what I can from my apartment. I was wondering if I could save my clothing, books, etc? I have a microbial cleaner that says it can be used on paper. What do you think? There is no visible mold on any of my things. The mold was on the wall and in the air. Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it so much.

Answer: Yes, you could save your clothing, books and other belongings. If the apartment had only a small amount of mold, I don’t think your belongings are significantly contaminated with mold spores. However, if you’re still concerned you could have the items that cannot be washed, cleaned with a HEPA vacuum. I would not recommend use of microbial cleaners unless it’s something already approved for that purpose. Items that can be washed should be washed and then dried properly immediately. For additional information refer to the articles below:

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