MRSA Superbug

MRSA Superbug - Who should be scared? What to do?

By: Bill Belew October 17, 2007

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, the superbug has attacked schools in Virginia...and the students are scared, their parents are scared...and the global warming scare has taken a back seat, if not then, just for a short period. Something else is attacking and the dangers are imminent.


Each year it is estimated that some 90,000 people - a crowded Rose Bowl full of people, get infected with the potentially deadly infection. Some 18,000+ (a Phoneix Sun's Arena full) die.

MRSA is often carried on the skin and in the noses of HEALTHY PEOPLE.

The disease spreads wildly through:

1. schools

2. hospitals

3. prisons

4. athletic facilities

MRSA does not respond to penicillin and related antibiotics.

Three students died from the disease in the past week from MRSA infection that can spread:

1. from skin-to-skin contact

2. sharing an item from an infected person

3. touching an open wound

The best way to fight...to prevent the infection is o:

1. wash hands regulalry

2. keep cuts and abrasions clean

3. watch out for contaminated medical equipment

4. stay out of the hospital - a full one-fourth of invasive cases of staff infections happen to patients in hospitals and more than half are related to the healthcare industry.

5. let the kids have a say - schools in VA were closed after the students "there launched a protest Monday using text messages and social networking sites."

The ERMI Question

ERMI, Research Data or Commercial Product?

Created by Wei Tang, Ph.D. on Sep 29, 2007
Description/History:
[This petition initiated by Dr. Wei Tang on October 14, 2007 is his personal opinion and it is NOT the position of any organization or business that he is affiliated or working with.]

Standardization of a sampling and analytical method requires years of collaboration from experts in related disciplines and must be based on industry-recognized protocols. It's not a government agency's role to write a “standardized” method based on a few studies and then ask an entire industry to recognize and accept it.

When conducting indoor mold growth investigations, one of the industry-recognized methods is to compare a suspected problem area to a non-problem reference area which represents a normal background level of fungal biomass. ERMI, developed by EPA, uses a reference internal to the sample itself based upon ten fungal species (Group II). It is a new and unproven fungal ecology model developed for indoor mold growth investigation and was developed with little involvement of mycologists. As with any new theory or method, it must be proven or validated with extensive research data over time.

Following are some of the important issues surrounding ERMI that still need to be addressed:

(1) Basic Fundamentals:
The proponents of ERMI ignore many of the established fundamental practices used in performing indoor environmental investigations. For example, it is widely recognized that sampling is only one aspect of a comprehensive building investigation. ERMI uses only one sample and it is being marketed by some labs to less-than-qualified mold inspectors or homeowners as a substitute for a properly performed field investigation. Water intrusion and dampness in a building is the root cause of microbial growth problems which have the potential to impact the health of occupants. These moisture issues need to be corrected. ERMI does not address or locate the cause of microbial growth in buildings. All areas of significant mold growth need to be identified and removed. ERMI presently only places emphasis on 26 Group I species out of hundreds of possible fungal species that can be found in indoor environments. Even more inappropriate is the fact that any significant mold contamination in the building from any of the 10 species in Group II will lower the ERMI score. For this reason, ERMI cannot be used as a Post-Remediation Verification (PRV) tool. In fact, current “Mold-Specific Quantitative PCR” (MSQPCR) cannot responsibly be used for PRV because it does not detect all groups of fungal spores.

(2) Flawed ERMI Calculation Formula and Data Variation:
ERMI is calculated by using a unique unproven formula, which is the “sum of the logs from Group I concentrations” from which the “sum of the logs from Group II concentrations” is subtracted.

ERMI = (sum of the logs from Group I concentrations) - (sum of the logs from Group II concentrations)

since:
Log(A) + Log(B) + Log(C) = Log (A x B x C)
Log(D) - Log(E) = Log (D/E)

therefore:
ERMI = Log(all Group I concentrations multiplied together/all Group II concentrations multiplied together)

As a result, ERMI represents fungal ecology as numeric data that has not been fully studied and it produces questionable results. For example, assume two samples, Sample 1 and 2, have identical Group II background. Sample 1 has 10 species detected in Group I with 10 spores each. Sample 2 has 1 species detected in Group I with 10,000,000,000 spores. Total concentration and species diversity have always been important parts of traditional data interpretation methods. Sample 2 with 10,000,000,000 spores from one single species represents a much more significant mold growth problem than Sample 1 which contains 100 spores from 10 different and diverse species. The sum of Group I spore concentration is 100,000,000 times lower than that of Sample 2, however, ERMI will give the exact same score for both samples.

Also as stated in (1), if any significant mold contamination in the building is from any of the 10 species in Group II, the ERMI score will be lowered instead of increased. It is clear that ERMI does not reflect “total mold burden”. This flaw in the calculation formula also contributes to its huge variation (or random error) of minus 3 to plus 3 (+/- one standard deviation) in a log scale. A wide range of 6 index difference translates into a lot of uncertainty. There is also a good possibility that the actual ERMI will fall outside of the range of +/- 3 of reported ERMI (+/- one standard deviation).

(3) Method Development:
Some of those chosen ten internal reference species (Group II) are considered by many mycologists to be species commonly found in water damaged buildings. These species are not appropriate choices to be use as background contamination or as an internal reference standard. Even when using appropriate internal references, a single carpet dust sample alone is hardly considered by most consultants to be representative of an entire house.

It has never been properly demonstrated that ERMI correlates to an independent set of reliable data representing “mold burden”. ERMI quartiles established based on HUD’s (2006) American Healthy Home Survey are merely a ranked order of ERMI values themselves, and they were not correlated with an independent set of data that establishes or defines “mold burden”. The definition of "mold burden" is based upon the 26 Group I mold species found in 11 carpet or floor dust samples from 6 Cleveland homes in which infants developed pulmonary hemorrhage. They were selected by comparing to 26 samples collected from reference homes in the same area and are presumed to be representative of universal "mold burden" and its associated health effects in occupants of all ages in all residential buildings throughout the country. It also assumes that any of those 10 Group II species cannot be a problematic mold source in a building. These assumptions have never been properly tested or proven and are not realistic.

(4) Method Validation:
MSQPCR developed by EPA can be a good tool for IEQ investigation in some specific applications. However, ERMI, which utilizes this valuable technology but applies an unproven method of data interpretation, has not been properly validated using existing industry-recognized methods for indoor mold investigation in extensive side-by-side comparison studies. It does not even locate the water problems or the mold sources, which are what consultants and homeowners need to know to create a more healthful environment. Its claim of superiority to other investigation methods is unproven and has no basis.
Petition:
EPA shall collaborate with other scientists in related fields, e.g. mycologists, ecologists and environmental consultants, to consider alternative mathematical models based on existing scientific knowledge to replace or improve ERMI and ARMI (simplified version of ERMI) to utilize MSQPCR data for more meaningful indoor environmental quality assessment purposes.

Until further published research and public and peer review has demonstrated that valid conclusions can drawn from the ERMI/ARMI using MSQPCR data, EPA shall require licensed laboratories to provide disclaimers in ERMI/ARMI reports advising of its limitations. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) When performing an investigation of mold contamination, it is important for qualified professionals to conduct a thorough building inspection and interview occupants regarding building history and health complaints. Sampling is only part of an indoor environmental quality investigation. Water intrusion and dampness in a building is the root cause of microbial growth problems which have the potential to impact the health of occupants. These moisture issues need to be corrected as soon as possible.

(2) MSQPCR does not detect all fungal species or identify the components comprising the mold biomass (spores, hyphal fragments, and/or other fungal structures). Direct microscopic examination is required to detect total spores (viable and non-viable) of all fungal species as well as to identify the presence of other fungal structures.

(3) ERMI does not reflect the total mold count (burden) or overall environmental healthfulness of an indoor environment. It should not be used as the sole decision-making factor for indoor environmental quality investigation or Post-Remediation Verification (PRV).

EPA shall also require licensed laboratories to:

(1) provide the sum and individual quantitative concentrations and the percent composition of each of the 36 species to allow traditional data interpretation methods to be performed.

(2) not accept ERMI/ARMI samples from homeowners without working with a qualified indoor environmental consultant.

Original published at http://www.gopetition.com/online/14485.html

Health Alert from NewsMax

Link Found Between Depression and Mold

A groundbreaking public health study has found a connection between damp, moldy homes and depression. The study, led by Brown University epidemiologist Edmond Shenassa, is the largest investigation of an association between mold and mood and is the first such investigation conducted outside the United Kingdom.
Shenassa said the findings, published in the American Journal of Public Health, came as a complete surprise. In fact, after a few U.K. studies published in the last decade had suggested a link, Shenassa and his skeptical team set out to debunk the notion that any link existed.

“We thought that once we statistically accounted for factors that could clearly contribute to depression — things like employment status and crowding — we would see any link vanish,” said Shenassa, the lead author of the study and an associate professor in the Department of Community Health at Brown. “But the opposite was true. We found a solid association between depression and living in a damp, moldy home.”

Shenassa noted the study, an analysis of data from nearly 6,000 European adults, does not prove that moldy homes cause depression. The study wasn't designed to draw that direct conclusion. However, Shenassa’s team did find a connection, one likely driven by two factors. One factor is a perceived lack of control over the housing environment. The other is mold-related health problems such as wheezing, fatigue, and a cold or throat illness.

“Physical health, and perceptions of control, are linked with an elevated risk for depression,” Shenassa said, “and that makes sense. If you are sick from mold, and feel you can’t get rid of it, it may affect your mental health.”
The study was a statistical analysis of data from the Large Analysis and Review of European Housing and Health Status (LARES), a survey on housing, health, and place of residence conducted in 2002 and 2003 by the World Health Organization (WHO). To conduct the survey, WHO interviewers visited thousands of homes in eight European cities and asked residents a series of questions, including if they had depressive symptoms such as decreased appetite, low self-esteem, and sleep disturbances. WHO interviewers also made visual checks of each household, looking for spots on walls and ceilings that indicate mold.

Shenassa’s team analyzed LARES data from 5,882 adults in 2,982 households.
“What the study makes clear is the importance of housing as indicator of health, including mental health,” Shenassa said. “Healthy homes can promote healthy lives.”
Shenassa and his team are conducting follow-up research to see if mold does, indeed, directly cause depression. Shenassa said that given the results of the current study, he wouldn’t be surprised if there is a cause-and-effect association.

Molds are toxins, and some research has indicated that these toxins can affect the nervous system or the immune system or impede the function of the frontal cortex, the part of the brain that plays a part in impulse control, memory, problem solving, sexual behavior, socialization, and spontaneity.

Onset Computer Corporation Announces Strategic Partnership with NORMI

Onset Computer Corporation Announces Strategic Partnership with NORMI for Mold Inspections and Remediation

BOURNE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Onset, the world leader in data logging solutions, today announced that it has formed a partnership with the National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors (NORMI), a cooperative network of first responders in the war against indoor air quality and mold problems.

NORMI members, including Mold Inspectors, Remediators, and Technicians, will use HOBO® data loggers for Warranty Compliance and real-time environmental evaluation. This powerful alliance will help provide a dramatic impact on Indoor Air Quality Issues and customer satisfaction.

Lance Eisen, Chief of Operations for NORMI said, "The Onset data loggers are a needed piece of the solution for solving Indoor Air Quality Problems. Many consumers get a false sense of security by using various types of indoor Air Quality filtering or cleaning machines. The Onset devices allow the consumer to know if they are actually improving their indoor air quality."

A HOBO data logger is a portable, pager-sized electronic device that can measure and record temperature and relative humidity (RH) on a 24/7 basis over extended periods of time. HOBO data loggers utilize Onset's HOBOware software to activate the logger and view/analyze the collected data. For more details, please visit http://www.onsetcomp.com.

ABOUT ONSET

Onset Computer Corporation has been producing small, inexpensive, battery-powered data loggers and embedded controllers since 1981, and has sold over 1,000,000 loggers that are used throughout the world by over 50,000 customers. The company manufactures a broad range of data logger and weather station products that are used to measure temperature, humidity, light intensity, voltage, and a broad range of other parameters. Onset products are used in a wide range of research, commercial, industrial, and educational applications.

NORMI Members and their Business

If you are a NORMI Member, please feel free to add a comment about yourself and your Business.

BLEACH DOES NOT KILL MOLD!

D. Douglas Hoffman
Executive Director of NORMI

A well-known expert in our area, when interviewed on a local New Orleans radio station, recently said, "When you have a mold problem, simply wash down the affected area with diluted bleach." We have seen FEMA handing out gallons of Clorox to flood-victims. Lowe's and Home Depot stock up pallets of the stuff whenever the impending doom of a threatening hurricane is close. This is one of the most widely publicized "urban legends". Bleach is a powerful oxidizer and can, in many instances, sanitize surfaces of certain types of bacteria but when you are faced with a wall covered in mold, bleach is NOT the product to use.

Eyebrows raise in disbelief every time I say the phrase "bleach doesn't kill mold." Some look at me as if I'm speaking another language and they are right. I am speaking the TRUTH. Bleach (active ingredient is Sodium Hypochlorite) is very effective in removing the discoloration but may leave the microflora that will enable the mold to return in exactly the same spot when conditions are right. So, "how do you know this," I'm asked.

Several years ago we helped develop a process by which shingle and tile roofing systems could be cleaned of the mold and mildew that plague them. Look at any Real Estate guide or website that lists houses for sale and you'll see house after house with mold streaks running down from top to bottom of the roofing system. The mold on the roof looks ugly but that was not our biggest concern.


There are two bigger concerns and, therefore, reasons to address this roof mold problem. 1) It destroys the shingle and, 2) it makes your air conditioning system less efficient. First, shingles are made, primarily, of organic materials. The asphalt or fiberglass content in a shingle is only a small percentage of the entire composite. This organic material is ripe fruit for the mold to eat. As we all know, mold needs to have a nutrient of some sort and organic materials are especially appealing. The petroleum-based asphalt is protected from the UV light of the day's sun by a "ballast" or granules that are "glued" to the surface of the shingle. When the mold begins to grow it "pops" the granules off of the shingle exposing the asphalt to the UV, thus shortening the life of the shingle. When shingles begin to curl, that's a good sign that the shingle is drying out and its life is ending. Cleaning the roof off using an effective biocide will lengthen the life of the shingle by allowing the granules to remain tightly adhered to the surface.

Secondly, a black roof absorbs more heat than a lighter roof. Interestingly enough, in Florida, most homeowners choose a lighter roofing color for that very reason and yet, after a few years, they all end up the same color - black. We commissioned a study once in conjunction with the University of South Florida and found a substantial difference in attic temperatures once the roof was cleaned and the original lighter color was restored. I mean 30 degrees or more. That means by simply cleaning your roof to the lighter color you could make a major difference in the attic temperature and that would allow your air conditioning system to function more efficiently. In most cases the attic is the insulating space just above the air conditioned space so having those temperatures reduced substantially lowered the air conditioning bill.

The importance of understanding these problems make it relatively easy to sell the customer of the value of having their roof cleaned. However, what product or products to use could make a substantial difference in the longevity of the cleaning process and the effect of the cleaning process on the roofing system. Of course any time of high pressure wash could destroy the shingle by removing the granules so a low pressure wash is desirable and that makes the chemical solution you use more important. We used a combination of surfactants, detergents, and BLEACH (sodium hypochlorite) to lightly spray on the roof then rinse it off with no more pressure than a garden hose. It worked great. Only problems were that the landscaping had to be protected from the toxicity of Clorox and the mold would return in less than two years. Even walking around on the roof every couple of years could damage the roofing system so we looked for a better alternative.

Anecdotally, my wife wonders why she has to clean the same spot of mold on the bathroom tile month after month. Now she knows why. The mold has never been killed - it simply goes clear and then returns. Bleach will not kill the mold but a good biocide, or anti-microbial, will.

To underscore the validity of my claim, I suggest the "Journal of Forest Products" who commissioned a study by Oregon State University a couple of years ago. We have this article on our website where we have posted the abstract and the results. The "implications" of their testing showed exactly what we have been training for years. The stain disappears but the microflora remains and under the right conditions the mold will begin to grow.

In our Sanitization Protocol we recommend using GREEN technologies to remove surface mold. When you use the right kind of anti-microbial, the mold will be destroyed and the underlying bio-slime will be annihilated. I wish we had known about these kinds of technologies ten years ago when we were cleaning roofing systems. Instead of spending so much time protecting the landscape, we could have done an additional job or two. We could have completed more jobs and our subsequent warranty workload would have been reduced.

NORMI PARTNERS WITH INFRASPECTION INSTITUTE FOR MEMBER TRAINING

The National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors (NORMI) has partnered with Infraspection Institute of Burlington, New Jersey. The partnership will provide thermographic training for NORMI members and will also give members access to all training courses offered by the Institute.

"Thermography is now a common tool for home and building inspectors for detecting evidence of latent moisture," said Doug Hoffman, Director. "Although most thermal imagers are user friendly, proper training is imperative for accurate diagnoses."

"Infraspection Institute has been selected as our training partner based on their professionalism and experience of almost 30 years. We believe that the ability for members to gain additional training and certification is invaluable. Infraspection's training courses can provide our members with additional expertise, ideas, and opportunities for expanding their business.

Jim Seffren, Director of Infraspection Institute, added, "We are very pleased to be working with Normi. It is a pleasure to work with a professional association that places education at the top of its priorities. We look forward to working with Normi to provide training, certification and to assist in the development of new procedures and standards within the industry."

For additional information on infrared training and certification, contact Infraspection Institute 609-239-4788 or visit www.infraspection.com.

For more information on NORMI, contact 877-251-2296 or visit www.NORMI.org

Health Departments trained in NORMI Certified Mold Inspectors classes

Orange County Florida and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Health Departments trained in NORMI Certified Mold Inspectors classes


July 1, 2007 Abita Springs, LA — Members of the Orange County Florida and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Health Departments have been trained in NORMI Certified Mold Inspectors classes in the last month. One Health Department attendee commented, "I found the class very informative. Being new to this field I’m sure it will be very helpful". Comments were very positive and NORMI looks forward to continuing the relationship with counties throughout the United States.

"The Health Departments across the country play a very important role in educating the public and we felt it was important to offer our training to these great organizations," reported Lance Eisen, Chief of Operations for NORMI. "We are developing an entire program for Health Departments and are interested in helping them serve their constituents with accurate information about mold and its potential health effects."

NORMI has a program for Health Department officials across the county who are interested in learning more about this very dynamic industry. If you have an interest in this program or the services NORMI may provide, please contact Lance Eisen, COO directly at 1.877.251.2296.

NORMI PROPOSES MOLD INSPECTION AND REMEDIATION REGULATIONS

A NOTE from D. Douglas Hoffman, Executive Director-

"Many progressive Legislators and Senior Statesmen are now considering the need for good mold licensing legislation at the State level. Currently only two states have such laws governing the licensing of mold inspectors and mold remediators and the tendency to over- or under-regulate seems to produce unwanted results. On one extreme a law could be so strictly written so that anyone who touches mold is considered a candidate for licensing and that would drive those who want to work in the mold industry out of the state into neighboring states. At the other extreme, the law might so vague that it could apply to no one as well as it applies to everyone. In either case the public and the industry loses. The need for good clear legislation is what prompted our effort here. We believe we have succeeded with what follows here. It is not perfect but it is a place to start.

A good comprehensive piece of legislation takes time and money to make into law. NORMI does not have the enormous resources required to "lobby" for what we know is to the benefit of our industry in regards to licensing. What we DO have is large network of trained professionals with years of experience in the mold industry and a burning desire to help any legislating or regulatory body develop a mold licensing law that 1) specifically defines this niche industry for what it is without over-regulating the construction industry, 2) accurately identifies the roles for various licensees, and 3) does not create an undo burden or hardship on the public, the licensees, or the regulatory agencies but will still efficiently monitor the growth of this industry.

Our desire is to put this in the hands of those who are interested is spiriting our cause. We believe NORMI has the answer for indoor air quality issues like mold and as we have developed this licensing legislations and protocols for the assessment, sanitization, and removal of mold, we are also working on long-term protocols for long-term warranties so homeowners and building owners alike can be assured a clean indoor air environment for themselves and those they protect."

D. Douglas Hoffman
Executive Director of NORMI

Click Here to View the Proposed Regulations

FEMA Trailers and Indoor Air Quality

FEMA TRAILER DWELLERS GET HELP FROM NORMI--Abita Springs, LA Executive Director Douglas Hoffman announced that NORMI has arranged a testing program that will enable FEMA trailer dwellers to test new NASA Certified Space Age Technology on the indoor air quality of their trailers. FEMA has been flooded with reports of high levels of formaldehyde and those living in the trailers are complaining of a myriad of health problems they believe may be the result. NORMI is asking those who are experiencing such problems with their indoor air quality to contact NORMI immediately to volunteer for the one week test that will begin later this month.

"We have received many requests for help with some of the formaldehyde issues facing FEMA trailer owners, " said Mr. Hoffman, "and we think we have some solutions. By offering this opportunity to evaluate these new indoor air quality technologies, we think we are helping people with problems that no one else seems to be addressing. Opening the doors and windows sounds like a good idea, but I can tell you that, as a resident of Louisiana myself, this is not the time of year to be letting in all that 'fresh air'. Mold spore counts are high, humidity levels are soaring, and these folks could be exacerbating a problem that needs a real, permanent solution. We don't know if this will work in every case but we are confident it certainly can't hurt!"

The NORMI Test Program is designed for families who are currently living full-time in their FEMA trailer as they work on their permanent home. To be eligible for this FREE trial, the participant must call 800.728.7206 and leave their contact information. Those who are selected will be contacted by NORMI to establish a date for the test to begin. Other restrictions may apply but, if selected for the test, no money will be required for this program.

"People will think this is 'too good to be true' so I suppose it's time for them to put us to the test. We continue to educate professionals and the public on the benefits of improved indoor air quality and we are thrilled to have the opportunity make things better," announced Mr. Hoffman

CMA Class in NOLA

Here we are, Hurricane Season 2007. Just in time for me to travel to the much anticipated CMA (Certified Mold Assessor's) Class in New Orleans. Hurricane Dean is making it's way across the Atlantic threatening us with the possibility of a Gulf Landfall. Well, if all goes well, he will stay south and miss the US coastline. I plan on being at the 2 day course and meeting those of you taking the class. Hope to see you there. (August 24-25) For mor info on the class go to www.BestTrainingSchool.com

Lance

About NORMI

The National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors trains and certifies professionals in the mold abatement industry. NORMI also certifies professionals in the fields of IAQ, Drinking Water, and other biological contaminants.NORMI is a cooperative group of Certified IAQ/Mold Inspectors and Certified Mold Remediators who have successfully completed training and certification in those specific areas of expertise.Our programs assure the consumer that the professional they choose evidences experience and adheres to a strict Code of Ethics. For more information, please visit us at www.NORMI.org .Training and Class information can be found at www.BestTrainingSchool.com