Homeowners in Nanaimo, Duncan, Parksville, Qualicum, Courtenay, Campbell River, Port Alberni and all other locations on Vancouver Island many times ask the question: Who do I call for Black Fungus Mold – Mucormycosis.
Reports of Mucormycosis – ‘black fungus’ – attacking covid patients in India began surfacing in early May. It is particularly alarming since the survival rate is low, and those who do survive may suffer loss of the eyes, nose, sinuses, and upper jaw. Scary stuff.
In one reported case from 2000, an American man in Kentucky who barely survived subsequently required a prosthetic face. Reports at the time were that he likely inhaled the fungi while gardening.
There are claims, however, that may lead some to mistakenly think that Mucormycosis can be found among common household mold. Not so fast. While having mold indoors is never a good idea, the chance of contracting Mucormycosis from indoor household mold has to be put in perspective.
According to the the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website:
“Mucormycetes, the group of fungi that cause mucormycosis, are present throughout the environment, particularly in soil and in association with decaying organic matter, such as leaves, compost piles, and animal dung. They are more common in soil than in air, and in summer and fall than in winter or spring. Most people come in contact with microscopic fungal spores every day, so it’s probably impossible to completely avoid coming in contact with mucormycetes. These fungi aren’t harmful to most people. However, for people who have weakened immune systems, breathing in mucormycete spores can cause an infection in the lungs or sinuses which can spread to other parts of the body.”
Losing your face, or your life, to a very rare fungus that is more commonly found in the soil than the air, and mainly afflicts the immune compromised, is statistically not the first reason for household mold remediation. No need to panic about Mucormycosis floating around inside your home.
Still, overall health can be effected by household mold, and wet Vancouver Island winters can give rise to mold growth under conditions of high humidity and poor ventilation. If you’ve got it, you probably want to get rid of it.
Pacific Decontamination can give you the right information, and take the kind of quick, thorough, detailed, and effective response you require. And if you think you’ve got mold but are uncertain, we can test for it.
Since Mucormycosis is rather low on the risk scale for threats inside your living space, if that’s all you want to eliminate then lottery tickets might be a better investment.
But household mold still ought to be addressed for other health and aesthetic reasons. Pacific Decontamination will work with you on moving toward that healthy mold-free home.
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Call Pacific Decontamination Services at 778-269-0208 or email us!
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