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

[Westley Annis]

What about the people living in trailer cities?  Since we are not staying
near an infested structure, are we still at risk?  And who is going to be
held responsible for people getting sick when we were told it was "safe" to
return to da parish?  The thought that the health of my children could be at
risk is an outrage!  The mold issue needs to be addressed and clarified
quickly.  Why would more people come back to the parish if they think just
being here could make them sick?

Angel Steinmann 

-----------------------------------------------------

> 

> 

> 	----- 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