Mold Bacteria Consulting Services
Serving Ontario and British Columbia
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.
Question: Hi, my 16 year old son has suffered respiratory problems for years since living in a basement apartment full of black mold. I suspect that his problem is due to mold exposure.
Is there any testing that can be done on people to find out if long term effects have occurred after mold exposure? Please help me find someone, somewhere that either studies or tests for the effects of breathing molds as each time my son gets sick it is worse and I need some help with where to look or who to talk to. Please let me know if there is any testing, reports, groups, etc; out there on mold exposure.
Thank you.
Answer: I am not sure if there is any testing that can be done on people to find out if long term effects have occurred after they are exposed to mold. Some doctors have recommended testing for mold-specific antibodies. However, the presence of antibodies only indicates that one has been exposed to mold at some time. It does not tell you when you were exposed, where the mold exposure took place, or how much of the mold you were exposed to or whether the mold exposure caused long term effects. Also, a positive test for mold-specific antibodies alone is generally insufficient to prove that health effects reported by individuals are caused by mold exposure.
Mold exposure through inhalation of airborne spores may affect human health in many ways. Symptoms of mold exposure may vary from individual to individual. Some of the severe diseases associated with mold exposure include infection of the respiratory system (including the lungs) by species of Aspergillus. Aspergillus fumigatus, for example, is a common cause of Aspergillosis in individuals with weakened immune system.
A variety of other health problems have also been associated with airborne mold spores, such as chronic respiratory infections, dry cough, eye irritations, skin symptoms, asthmatic symptoms and allergy. Non-specific symptoms include headache, fever, and lack of concentration. Some of these symptoms of mold exposure can also be caused by other indoor contaminants.
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 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 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. […]