Mould is commonly seen in damp areas such as basements and bathrooms, and can also grow within a building's structure. Growth is fostered by moisture, especially following floods and water leaks. The main problem is the inhalation of mycotoxins. After a flood or major leak, mycotoxin levels are higher in the building, even after it has dried out.

Wikipedia: Mould | Mould Help | Asthma Foundation NZ

There are three types of mould:
1) Allergenic: such as Aspergillus, which may affect people who have allergies or asthma.
2) Pathogenic: such as Stachybotrys, Cladosporium and Aspergillus, which can cause serious health effects, particularly in infants, the elderly, and those who have compromised immune systems.
3) Toxigenic: such as Stachybotrys, which can cause serious health effects in almost anybody.

Moulds excrete the substance lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which is a mycotoxin. This takes the form of a fine dust which permeates the air, and all porous surfaces within the room. Many people complain of headaches, dry mouth and throat, and sore eyes from living or working in air-conditioned rooms. People assume this discomfort is due to the drier air - it is not. It is the organic dust entering the airway and causing allergic reactions. Using Healthaire SUPER VENTILATION to drive clean, filtered (99.9% effective at sizes of 1 micron and 80% effective at 0.2 microns) air into the affected area, the airborne organic dust and spores are expelled, and the damp conditions are eliminated which prevents regrowth.

Mark Tatum, also known by many as the man without a face, died on the 26th of February, 2005 in Kentucky, USA. Tatum lost his eyes, upper jaw, and nose to a fungal infection in 2000.  This type of infection is not that unusual, but the extent of the damage that it did to Tatum was very rare. Tests conducted in 2002 confirmed high levels of Cladosporium, Penicillium and Aspergillus fungi in his home.

Mark purchased his home in 1997, and undertook some D-I-Y renovations. While working on his bathroom, an infection began in his sinuses which quickly destroyed his eyes, nose, and part of his mouth, along with much of the surrounding tissue.  The doctors told him they didn't think he would survive. Mark had to take up to 15 medications a day to protect his face and paralyzed portions of the right side of his body - the results of several strokes Mark suffered during his illness.

Mark, who before the trauma was working four jobs to support his wife and children, was no longer able to work due to the blindness and paralysis. He was fitted for an extensive facial prosthesis to cover the gaping wound which extended from his forehead to his upper jaw. He received Social Security Disability and Medicaid assistance, but his health care costs were exorbitant: over US$300 a day.

Tatum was a medical phenomenon due to the fact that he survived the initial infection.  Due to his experience, Tatum was highly profiled in the media including Larry King and Ripley's Believe it or Not. He was a courageous individual who served as a symbol of strength for the thousands of people who have lost their health, homes, and livelihood from fungal exposure.

SOUTH ISLAND BRANCH

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