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

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.

Is There a Difference Between Total Microbe Test and Total Coliform Test?

Question: Is there a difference between total microbe test and a total coliform test. What do the following results mean as far as safe drinking water is concerned, (5-10)(10-20)(400-500) (800-1000) Colony forming units(CFUs) of aerobic bacteria?

Thank you.

Answer: There is a difference between total microbes test and total coliform test. The former is a non-specific test for everything including the coliforms (if they are present). This test is commonly referred to as Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) or Total Aerobic Plate Count. HPC does not give an indication of the types of organisms present or their sources. The total coliform test is designed to detect bacteria belonging to the coliform group.

I am not sure whether the results above were CFUs per litre or per 100 mL. Assuming these were per 100 mL of water the first set of results would be considered insignificant provided coliforms were not present. The second two sets of results suggests the water is either not properly treated or is getting contaminated after treatment.

Below are the Health Canada Microbiological Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.

Guidelines for microbiological parameters

Currently available detection methods do not allow for the routine analysis of all microorganisms that could be present in inadequately treated drinking water. Instead, microbiological quality is determined by testing drinking water for Escherichia coli, a bacterium that is always present in the intestines of humans and other animals and whose presence in drinking water would indicate faecal contamination of the water.

Bacteriological guidelines

Escherichia coli

The maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) of Escherichia coli in public, semi-public, and private drinking water systems is none detectable per 100 mL.

Testing for E. coli should be carried out in all drinking water systems. The number, frequency, and location of samples for E. coli testing will vary according to the type and size of the system and jurisdictional requirements.

Total coliforms

The MAC of total coliforms in water leaving a treatment plant in a public system and throughout semi-public and private supply systems is none detectable per 100 mL.

For distribution systems in public supplies where fewer than 10 samples are collected in a given sampling period, no sample should contain total coliform bacteria. In distribution systems where greater than 10 samples are collected in a given sampling period, no consecutive samples from the same site or not more than 10% of samples should show the presence of total coliform bacteria.

Testing for total coliforms should be carried out in all drinking water systems. The number, frequency, and location of samples for total coliform testing will vary according to the type and size of the system and jurisdictional requirements.

Heterotrophic plate count

No MAC is specified for heterotrophic plate count (HPC) bacteria in water supplied by public, semipublic, or private drinking water systems. Instead, increases in HPC concentrations above baseline levels are considered undesirable.

Emerging pathogens

No MAC for current or emerging bacterial waterborne pathogens has been established. Current bacterial waterborne pathogens include those that have been previously linked to gastrointestinal illness in human populations. Emerging bacterial waterborne pathogens include, but are not limited to, Legionella, Mycobacterium avium complex, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Helicobacter pylori.

Protozoa

Although Giardia and Cryptosporidium can be responsible for severe and, in some cases, fatal gastrointestinal illness, it is not possible to establish MACs for these protozoa in drinking water at this time. Routine methods available for the detection of cysts and oocysts suffer from low recovery rates and do not provide any information on their viability or human infectivity. Nevertheless, until better monitoring data and information on the viability and infectivity of cysts and oocysts present in drinking water are available, measures should be implemented to reduce the risk of illness as much as possible. If the presence of viable, human-infectious cysts or oocysts is known or suspected in source waters, or if Giardia or Cryptosporidium has been responsible for past waterborne outbreaks in a community, a treatment and distribution regime and a watershed or wellhead protection plan (where feasible) or other measures known to reduce the risk of illness should be implemented. Treatment technologies in place should achieve at least a 3-log reduction in and/or inactivation of cysts and oocysts, unless source water quality requires a greater log reduction and/or inactivation.

Viruses

Although enteric viruses can be responsible for severe and, in some cases, fatal illnesses, it is not possible to establish MACs for enteric viruses in drinking water at this time. Treatment technologies and watershed or wellhead protection measures known to reduce the risk of waterborne outbreaks should be implemented and maintained if source water is subject to faecal contamination or if enteric viruses have been responsible for past waterborne outbreaks. Where treatment is required, treatment technologies should achieve at least a 4-log reduction and/or inactivation of viruses.

For more details on Canadian Guidelines for drinking water click Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.

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

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.

What’s The Chance Of Getting A Positive Result For Legionella Tests?

Legionella Tests Question: Hi, I am a student working on an environmental research project on Legionella tests. I’m considering to have some water sample tested for Legionella species especially Legionella pneumophila. From your experience, what is the chance of getting a positive result for the Legionella tests? How much does the tests cost, for both PCR and culturable methods?

Thank you for your attention.

Answer: Legionella species are ubiquitous in natural and artificial water environments worldwide. They survive in a wide range of environmental conditions. Chances of getting positive results for Legionella tests from water depends on the following:

  • The Source of water. Legionella species thrive at temperatures between 20 °C and 50 °C. Therefore, the bacteria are rarely found in municipal water supplies. They tend to colonize warm water systems and point-of-use devices, particularly hot-water systems.
  • Isolation method. Legionella species are usually a very minor component of the total bacterial population in environmental samples and are rarely present in high numbers. Thus, it’s possible to get negative Legionella tests results if the bacteria in the sample were not concentrated prior to analysis.
  • Concentration: Legionella may be present in concentrations too low to be detected using culture methods.
Legionella tests
Legionella test

The cost of Legionella tests depends on the level of identification required. There are many labs that carry out Legionella tests but some if not most are not accredited.  To minimize false-positive results for Legionella tests, it’s important to use a qualified accredited laboratory.

Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories (MBL) performs several Legionella tests every year. Currently we use cultural methods for Legionella identification. We’re accredited by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA) to ISO/IEC 17025:2005. MBL is also certified in the analysis of Legionella bacteria by the prestigious Environmental Legionella Isolation Techniques Evaluation (ELITE) program of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For pricing please call 905-290-9101 in Ontario.

Do You Have Normal Mold Levels For Various Types Of Mold?

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

Answer: Currently there are no widely accepted normal airborne mold levels. Although no exposure standards have been established that relate health effects to specific airborne mold levels, there are concerns from public health agencies regarding exposure to mold. Much evidence exists indicating that indoor exposures to molds contribute to occupant respiratory disease and symptoms. Mold levels are used to give us an indication of whether the occupants are exposed to mold originating from indoor environment. According to the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), indoor mold levels should be less than 1/3 of outdoors levels.  If indoor levels are above this amount, action should be taken to identify the source or location of mold growth and remove it.  It’s important to note that the outdoor levels of mold can vary quite a lot over the different seasons and even week to week and the same is reflected indoors.

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.

It is normal to find mold spores in any indoor environment in the air and surfaces such as clothes, walls, and furniture.  Most of the time mold spores found indoors during a mold inspection is from outside sources and do not pose a hazard. Regular housekeeping cleaning helps keep mold levels low. Cleaning small areas of visible mold, like the mold around your shower, is important to maintain sanitary conditions.

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.

Salmonella food poisoning and symptoms

Salmonella food poisoning has been a growing concern in recent news. It has frequently lead to recalls of beef, salads and organic products and, even peanut butter products. Salmonella food poisoning occurs when one eats raw or undercooked foods such meat, poultry, eggs or egg products. Properly cooked food can get contaminated with Salmonella if […]

Legionella pneumophila – Guidelines for Laboratory Interpretation

Legionella pneumophila is a Gram negative, aerobic bacteria that is characterized as an opportunistic pathogen. It is the cause of Legionnaires’ Disease, a severe form of pneumonia and, it is the cause of Pontiac fever, a non-pneumonic form of L. pneumophila infection. Legionella spp.’s mode of transmission is through aerosols or aspiration of contaminated water. The Public Health […]

The Indoor Mold Is An Early Warning Device

The mold (or mould, in the Queen’s English) has been the victim of a bad press. Mention the word and it conjures up an image of something rotting or in the process of decomposition. And yet, were it not for the mold that inspired the discovery of penicillin millions of lives would have been lost. […]