[StBernard] Mold Experts Find Evidence Of Biotoxin Illness And Extreme Levels Of Toxic Mold

[Westley Annis]

FEMA should be ashamed leaving citizens exposed to these conditions. Hmmm,
still no trailer; what a disorganized sham. I told them I'd hate to seen
what they would do in a real emergency and they said "You mean like 9/11?" I
said, "No like 8/28, and we won't forget either." 

Mudpie


	----- Original Message -----
	MEDIA AVAILABLE: St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana Government- Mold
Experts Find 
	Evidence Of Biotoxin Illness And Extreme Levels Of Toxic Mold 
	
	For Immediate Release 
	
	ST. BERNARD PARISH, La./EWORLDWIRE/Feb. 27, 2006 --- More than
one-half of 
	189 patients in five different groups including firemen, parish
employees, 
	health workers and 
	homeless adults and homeless children are found to have highly
elevated 
	neurological and physical symptoms related to mold illness. In
contrast, 22 
	crew members of the M/S Scotia Prince were normal in identical
tests. 
	Experts recommend expanded medical evaluation/treatment and
protective 
	measures for residents and workers. 
	
	A "Mold Clinic" held in St. Bernard Parish, La. February 9-12, 2006
found 
	that more than half the patients examined exhibited symptoms of
biotoxin 
	illness. Simultaneously, houses in the parish were found to have
extremely 
	high levels of toxin-producing molds including Stachybotrys (also
known as 
	Black Mold). 
	
	"Our parish was devastated by Katrina with all but two buildings
sustaining 
	flood damage," said Henry Rodriguez, parish president. "We're
working hard 
	to rebuild our community but we must have safe, temporary housing
where our 
	residents can escape constant exposure to widespread mold growth." 
	
	The Mold Clinic was run by Dr. Ritchie C. Shoemaker, a nationally
known 
	physician, who has treated more than 5,000 biotoxin illness patients
in over 
	30 years of medical practice and is the author of several books and 
	scientific articles including "Mold Warriors," published in 2005. 
	(www.moldwarriors.com). 
	
	"There is no question about the potential for illness caused by
biotoxins in 
	this population, the data are overwhelming," stated Dr. Shoemaker,
in his 
	report to the Saint Bernard Parish president, parish fire chief,
parish 
	Homeland Security manager and the general manager of the Scotia
Prince. 
	
	"Our findings support the hypothesis that there are many persons
with 
	exposure to toxigenic organisms including mold, in St. Bernard
Parish. These 
	people should undergo complete medical evaluation and treatment,"
added Dr. 
	Shoemaker. 
	
	In a related environmental and landscape assessment in which he took
samples 
	and pictures of the housing and neighborhoods of the Parish, Dr.
Richard L. 
	Lipsey, a forensic toxicologist reported that, "Most of the homes
had 
	extremely high levels (of mold), the highest I have ever seen in my
35 years 
	of testing homes for toxic mold. The most common pathogenic mold
appeared to 
	be Stachybotrys, sometimes called the 'Black Mold,' known to be ten
times 
	more toxic than the most pathogenic but more common molds,
Penicillium and 
	Aspergillus. Stachybotrys produces tricothocenes which, in highly
purified 
	forms have been developed by the U.S. Army and never used, having
since been 
	destroyed." 
	
	Dr. Lipsey continues, "Many of the homes must be bulldozed and
burned since 
	they cannot be salvaged, and none of the parish residents living on
the 
	Scotia Prince (who have remained less affected by the toxins) should
return 
	to their neighborhoods without proper protective equipment." 
	
	Results of the mold clinic and sampling from the homes in St.
Bernard Parish 
	follow. The control group for the study consisted of crew aboard the
M/S 
	Scotia Prince which has been docked in the Parish since mid
September under 
	contract to FEMA. 
	
	None of the crew showed signs of biotoxin illness and Dr. Shoemaker
noted in 
	his report that "the only 'residential' location in St. Bernard
Parish that 
	did not have its 'residents' (the crew) identified with
biotoxin-associated 
	illness is the M/S Scotia Prince. Trailers installed next to
contaminated 
	buildings, used by persons with unprotected indoor exposure to those

	contaminated structures cannot be considered to be a shelter
strategy that 
	provides protection from toxigenic elements, including fungi,
resident in 
	the contaminated structures." 
	
	The parish continues to struggle with accommodating residents in the
face of 
	a severe shortage of trailers and the imminent departure of the M/S
Scotia 
	Prince at the conclusion of FEMA's six month charter of the vessel. 
	
	To view the summary of the findings, visit 
	http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/media_uploads/Chart.pdf. 
	
	For a full report, visit 
	http://newsroom.eworldwire.com/newsroom.php?cid=308937. 
	
	
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