I am having the city test the building, air and water... but wondering if anyone else has ever heard of a situation where multiple people developed aspergillosis (beginning as pulmonary or otitis externa infections,,. the ear seemed most common denominator) from the water supply?
There have been business in the area that have relocated because of mold and sewage contamination. A couple of years ago, the city began construction to extend the Metro rail through our area. This has caused of a lot upheaval, traffic changes, construction dust and other toxins, etc.
Just wondering if my upcoming battles are going to end up involving the city , too. Ultimately, test results will determine that. So, just anecdotally... any info or personal experience about water-based contamination resulting in aspergillosis?
Written by
petersonkc
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Aspergillus is known to be present in the air and water. There have been papers published looking at the effect of aspergillus in the water supply on the number of patients that get aspergillosis who are heavily immune-compromised after bone marrow transplant in hospital. Try this search of the aspergillus website and others
It would be very unusual for several people to get aspergillosis of the ear in one small area of a city as it is usually very rare. This might be affected by the amount of spores in the air that these people are living or working in (certainly lots of building work can do this temporarily) but there may well be other factors such as poor nutrition, other infection, immune status might be lower than normal or something else - this is something to bring up with your local health surveillance authority.
Hi, after reading your post, it makes me wonder if it's here where I live that as given me suspected Aspergillosis. I moved here 2 yrs ago after my partner died. I bought this apartment 3 yrs ago & had all my bathroom & kitchen replaced, so all new plumbing. I have been ill from the first wk I moved in permanently. I noticed some really bad smells & because I am deaf, I believe my sense of smell is more acute. The bathroom had bad smell when I bought the place but I thought refurbish of old suite would solve problem!
The building is Grade II listed, it was a brewery in the 1800s & made into apartments in 1985. The walls are around 14" thick. I had a lot of thick dust everywhere due to wall removal & re plastering & decorators only finished (not a good job) the day before I moved in. They had not attempted to clean despite 2 hoovers at their disposal! I had a small air purifying unit on 24 hrs a day for several days & hoovered as much as possible.
I have Bronchiectasis & Asthma, so the dust caused me to cough constantly & made me so weak. I had to clear my partners home (rented) within 3 wks of his death & hand keys back. Luckily I had this place ready apart from mess.
To get back to the point, I have not recovered from that time & was ill with breathing probs for several months & had pneumonia. I did not see my consultant for over a yr until March this yr. After having lots of tests done, he diagnosed me with Invasive Aspergillosis as my immuno cap was over 200.?
My toilet is plumbed into the void between bathrm & airing cupboard, so I did wonder if it was not fitted properly?
The smells in here are mainly in the bathrm & airing cupboard (which the toilet wall backs onto). I called my local water suppliers a few months after moving here & the guy seemed to think it's due to the drains & stench pipes needing cleaning as build up inside these pipes can cause bad smells coming back up through toilet & sink outlets. There is a permanently working fan built into the bathrm, it's noisy & strong but does not remove these awful smells. They get worse over the weekend & vary from gas type odour to stink bomb odour & quite embarrassing when I have visitors.
I also had silverfish in my lounge on outer wall where lg window is. I have no signs of damp in that area, apart from some on window cil, as waiting for new windows to be fitted & condensation build up on glass behind wood blinds may have caused? This yr I purchased some small humidifiers to help with this.( Waiting for new windows in line with building regulations & being done in stages). I did wonder if there is damp inside the wall as there is plasterboard covering brickwork & plastered over?& we had so much rain last winter. I do not know how to find this out, but presume it will be at my own expense?
Is it possible that these odours coming through my toilet & water outlets in my bathrm could have affected my lungs? I am so breathless after doing anything & walking short distances.
My consultant being only a non specialised respiratory consultant did refer me to Royal Brompton Lung specialist Prof Wilson as he does'nt know enough about Aspergillosis. I have been to Royal Brompton hosp. in November & I had a call the following day from the registrar I saw, to say my blood results are too high & I need to be admitted for 2 wks for Bronchoscopy & IV antibiotics etc, to correct this, asap?
I have often wondered if these disgusting odours could have attributed to my lung probs?
Several other residents have said they get them too, but thought they were coming from communial extractor fan in bathrm? Which is silly because it extracts! The smells are definitely coming from inside toilet & outlets in bath & basin.
I did get rid of silverfish in my lounge & no sign of the 8" strip of mould re curring from condensation on window cil. They are wood & rotting frames. Hopefully will be my side of building replaced next yr?
My neighbour has been diagnosed with COPD last year & another ladies husband had severe breathing problems, but he died before I moved here? I do not know many other neighbours
So who do I call to find out about these probs, my residents association have done nothing & I pay a quite high service charge too..
Yes, your health problems could be either caused and/or exacerbated by those conditions. Whatever you're smelling, you're also breathing in.
In Santa Monica, CA, here's what you'd do... probably similar:
1. Document all of these concerns in a concise, professional letter to the association. If possible, get other residents to sign and send their own letters. Send it certified delivery.
Specify each problem and the suggested remedy. Some costs may come back to the residents, but if you have conditions making people ill, has to be resolved or at least move out. You'll need professional testing...air, water...maybe the residents can pool funds for a professional result that would stand up in court (if it goes that far)
2. Find out who regulates the association... if necessary, report the situation to them...and keep going up the chain until you get results
3. Notify public health dept and other local parties. Santa Monica has a "Code Compliance" division separate from Public Health or Building & Safety. Notify EVERYONE until you get there testing you need, and if required, the right remediation.
Are there lawyers that would represent you on contingency in a personal injury suit (building caused illness)? A lether from an attorney to the association or the insurance company for the property would get attention, I imagine.
Hi Peter, thanku for replying to my very long post..I live in County of Kent..England..I have definately got worse since living here. The smells are terrible sometimes worse than others, worse when more people are at home weekends & night time & after having a bath, I had all my plumbing renewed after buying this place 3 yrs ago. I have reported it to our Residents Association, but get fobbed off saying communial 24 hr extractor fan is not working, but my one is fine & I can hear it & see fluff collects on it & Hoover that away at least once a wk..I told Res Ass guy my local water Co. Said it's probably stench pipes need cleaning as there are 4 to each building & this is grade II listed building, & was a brewery in the 1800s converted into apartments in 1985..I have to go in a specialist Royal Brompton Hosp,, in Chelsea..London On mon 26 Jan for 2 wks IV drugs because I have fungal infection, blood immuno cap very high 200.. & have to have Bronchoscopy done first to determine type of Meds needed..I also found out from my appointment there at end Nov 2014 that I have Emphysema too..I will asap contact my local health authority & see what I have to do about it here.. The lady next to me has COPD too..I can get my consultant at the hosp to maybe put in writing about my illness & go from there..Thank you for yr help & bringing this to my attention with your post last year.
You're doing the right stuff! Also, I recommend that you check out the Cowden Protocol. It was designed for Lyme sufferers, but I find it far more effective than other things I've tried. I didn't and won't go the route of antibiotics.
Buna, as vrea sa imi spui cum te simti azi continuand cu produsele de la nutramedix. Care e starea ta si daca sa imbunatatit cu aceste produse fara tratamentul sintetic antifungic?
I am new here at this site. Excellent suggestions of contacting media. The scientist I've been working with here in the USA told me if you smell it it's there. The key is having someone that has experience ee.g micro biologist or mold specialist in to test. While pricey, my soon to be ex paid for it, it is well worth it for me as the Doctors I've been dealing with for 10 years- none ever made the connection to
mold.
Many thanks for sharing your experience, strength, and hope.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
My dad has Aspergillosis
My Mom has Aspergillosis 
Black mould causing Aspergillosis?