MOLD DOGS AND OTHER HOAXES

It is very unfortunate that with even with the best of intentions some people just do not get it right. This is the case with either misunderstanding, naivete, ignorance or just not wanting to know the facts as in the case of the use of dogs for sniffing out mold. Everyone know that our four legged friends are great at sniffing out odors since their survival depends on it more so than for humans. And yes in many cases humans employ animals for their ability to find lost children, search for people trapped under rubble, sniffing for bombs or illegal contraband. These uses are acceptable for there is little to no risk to animals. But in the case of checking for fungi and especially toxic and infectious molds the animals are using the system that is the main port on entry of toxic and infectious molds and that is through the respiratory system.

Medical research is clear and all one has to do is take a quick look to see what it is all about:

http://www.njmoldinspection.com/molddog.html

ALLERGENIC AND INFECTIOUS MOLDS

With so much emphasis on toxic molds we forget that the primary risk is of an allergenic nature since it is very clear that exposure to mold does cause allergic and immune type responses in humans and animals but rarely identified properly.

Infections from mold are at three specific levels topical, subcutaneous and systemic. Diagnosis of such infections are very difficult and too often misdiagnosed as a "cancer".

Pathologists in diagnostic medical mycology understand this very well.

MOLD GROWTH IN THE LUNGS

Northern New Jersey 2006. A 25 year old female a non-smoker during routine chest X-ray was found to have a large mass in the left lung. Upon biopsy it was determined that the this was an Aspergilloma, a fungal ball as a result of the exposure to the Aspergillus fungi. The family requested a "mold inspection" and the home was inspected for the fungal mold but was not identified. The patient contacted a medical mycologist for consultation. A subsequent investigation identified the specie of fungus that caused here condition extensively in the basement of the home. it was overlooked and was not identified by an untrained "mold inspector".