C. gattii Invasion!

In mid-April online news broadcast a story about a species of fungus which migrated from its usual tropical and subtropical climates to the northwestern coast of the United States. It was first discovered when 200 people became infected with the fungus on Vancouver Island in British Columbia in the late 90’s. Experts say it may have arrived in North America by importation of trees and plants, and more than a decade later has travelled along the coast of Oregon and Washington. Northern California is potentially the next target.

The airborne fungal spores - Cryptococcus gattii, or C. gattii - can harbor themselves in the body for 2 to several months, and cause some life-threatening symptoms. Researchers are mainly concerned about the intensely toxic fungal spores inhabiting a non-specific group - any age range, different backgrounds, non-smokers, and has also affected some domestic and wild animals.

For humans, the symptoms include shortness of breath, an extremely painful persistent cough, headache, fever, and night sweats. Antifungal treatments are the most effective, taking 10 to 12 months to eliminate symptoms. One woman told CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) the cough was severely painful and it took a year to build her energy levels to normal.

There isn’t a preventative for infection, but don’t let this alarm you. Anyone living on the Northwestern coast of the United States should be aware of the symptoms and should be tested for the C. gattii fungal infection, beginning an antifungal regimen immediately. Or, for precautionary measures, start taking daily doses of antifungals and probiotics to decrease the severity of the infection or keep it from initially taking over your body.

A Scary Word

Why is it that fungus is generally thought of in an unsavory manner? It could be because fungus is associated with rot, old food in the refrigerator, unsightly looking material in the garbage can, and unusually colored organisms that grow in the backyard or woods. If the fungus isn't visible it can be noticed by its distinct smell, especially mold in the home. Fungus can grow just about anywhere it feels advantageous, especially in dark, moist areas.

There are many people who are unfamiliar with fungus, it's origin, background, and its effects on the human body. A woman called our office the other day and said her face was breaking out because she started taking Olive Leaf Extract. Without hesitation, she was told, "It's just the fungus being killed off." She was horrified. Fungus!

A larger number of people have heard of fungus, or yeasts and molds, because it's visible in our homes, yet fungus in the body is more discreet. Our association with Doug Kaufmann, a fungal expert, and host of Know the Cause has increased our awareness of the internal effects on humans. Doug says "localized or systemic (throughout the body) mycoses (fungi) are not rare." In fact, fungal disease was more widely talked about in the medical field before the prevalence of bacteria and viruses. Everyone has some type of fungus in the body because we have all been exposed to antibiotics, birth control pills and polluted air, food and water.

The next time fungus is mentioned, remember, it's not just related to the home. It can be eliminated from the home and from the body if carefully approached. Don't let fungus scare you, either, because we are humans and we have the ability to overcome anything if we try.

Spring Change

Some people wait until something serious happens, either to themselves or someone else, to make a change in their lifestyle. A lifestyle change refers to getting an adequate amount of sleep, eating less of certain foods, exercising more, taking supplements, becoming sober, or thinking positively. These are just a few areas in a person's life that can be changed - some easy and some not so easy.

It can become frustrating for anyone looking from the outside in on a life full of destructive choices. The effects of this choice or choices, more often becomes apparent to friends and family before it is noticed by the individual. Choosing the right time to confront someone about concerns regarding poor choices can be a touchy subject, but in certain cases it could mean life or death. Bottom line is, a person has to make the decision to change on their own, but it doesn't hurt to place a bug in the ear to start the thought process.

Living by example is also a good way to influence another person. There is more impact on an individual when surrounded by friends and family with the same priorities, principles and morality. Motivation from others is a great way to stimulate response and action. What's better than doing anything alone? Doing it with a friend or relative. Plus, a person's motivation can be increased when the mind is distracted from the actual work at hand.

So, what better time to analyze your lifestyle - springtime. The change doesn't have to happen in a few hours - take a few days, or a week. Don't set expectations too high either, because it could lead to disappointment. Take baby steps, and think about what the change can do positively for you and those close to you.

Weighty Issue

The weight issue has been the hot topic over the past few years in healthcare. A few reasons weight is such an issue in our society is because of increasingly sedentary lifestyles due to technology and the accessibility of overprocessed foods. Some people jump in their vehicle to travel to the store to buy a bag of chips or quart of ice cream instead of walking or riding a bicycle.

If you're in the 30 year old and up range you probably remember parents and grandparents talking about walking two miles to school every day, riding bicycles to the nearby river to fish all morning, dancing on Friday nights, planting and harvesting the garden, canning vegetables and fruits, playing outside for hours, and the list goes on. A majority of people in those days, men and women alike, were lean and slender, and obesity was uncommon in social circles. Remember how tiny women's waists were in the 40's?

We certainly can't bring back those days, but we can certainly learn from history. Get outside and be active - ride a bike, walk, run, shoot some baskets, swing, dance, garden - get the whole family involved. And adopt healthy eating habits like preparing meals with fresh ingredients. After a few weeks, your body will thank you by making you feel so good, and will rebel against high fat, high calorie, high carbohydrate foods found in many processed foods.

So, let's take the challenge to turn a sedentary, packaged food lifestyle into an active, fresh food lifestyle. You and so many others could become the mentors of good health, the weight issue would decline in popularity, and obesity would possibly become an issue of the past.

WHO says!

Here's something to mull over. The World Health Organization openly says the world needs food security and food safety. Food safety plays a huge role in nutrition, improved health, functionality and economic status in the international population, especially in countries where grains, nuts, spices, milk, and meat are the primary food sources and primary exports. The potential for these countries to physically and economically thrive unfortunately relies on the weather and quantity of food that becomes contaminated. In any given year a food source could devastate hundreds of people and reduce much needed income for a country.

The number of people exposed to aflatoxin contaminated food in developing countries is daunting - 5 billion. Yes, BILLION! There are many practices in agriculture that can prevent aflatoxin occurrence, however, there are certain natural incidents that are uncontrollable - amount of insect infestation, severe weather, temperature changes, soil content, humidity and conditions for crop drying.

Much evidence shows chronic aflatoxin exposure may lead to impaired immunity, reduction of nutrient absorption, and decreased growth in humans and animals, and have a negative influence in people with malaria and HIV/AIDS. Also, aflatoxin may heighten susceptibility to a larger number of diseases.

Unfortunately, there are no standard international regulations to the content of toxins in crops, but there are procedures starting with preharvest that should be followed to keep levels low. Any programs to prevent and raise awareness of toxicity in crops should be available to all farmers, too. This always takes time and money, but in the long run will decrease the prevalence of aflatoxin poisoning in humans and animals.

If you'd like more to read on mycotoxins in our food, just look on the WHO (World Health Organization) website:

Mycotoxins in Food

Heightened Awareness

Pathogens are anything capable of producing disease - like fungi, bacteria, virus and other microbials. The popular cause of disease in the last few decades have been the viral and bacterial diseases, but like anything, the tables are turning more and more towards extensive fungal disease. According to Dr. Brian Shaw, Texas AgriLife Research plant pathologist, "some 70 percent of the major disease-causing organisms are fungi."

In the past few years focus has increased toward understanding fungi and their relationship to disease in humans, agriculture and the environment. Fungal disease is prevalent in humans either in a minor form, such as a toenail infection, or can become a potentially life-threatening, systemic infection. Our nations farmers have fought for hundreds of years to eradicate fungal disease and it's effects from their crops. In some areas of the world crop destruction by fungal disease has caused huge economic devastation.

This topic has warranted enough attention for the American Academy of Microbiology to suggest reports on the following:

"Evaluate the Impacts of Mold in Homes and Businesses

There is a serious lack of scientific data to support any stance with respect to indoor mold toxicity or remediation. More effort should be devoted to testing and long-term monitoring of mold contamination and human health in New Orleans and other areas flooded by Hurricane Katrina. Natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina provide natural laboratories for understanding how fungi respond to disturbance and the subsequent impacts they have on human health.

Create a Fungal Genomes Database

Researchers involved with fungi must focus efforts on developing a comprehensive fungal genomics database in order to make the vast quantities of sequence data more available and to enable the field to fully capitalize on the promise of genomics.

Report and Track Fungal Infections

Public health agencies should implement formal programs to report cases, track disease progress, and design interventions in outbreaks of fungal disease. The lack of reporting and tracking systems has made it difficult to control the spread of fungal pathogens, because good epidemiological data on the scope of infection is usually not available."

American Society for Microbiology (2008, July 3). Fungi The Cause Of Many Outbreaks Of Disease, But Mostly Ignored. ScienceDaily.

Skepticism

This blog has been going on for about 2 months now. For an outsider (meaning one who doesn't yet believe in fungal-related disease) the notion of fungus and its connection with so many diseases is hard to comprehend. I remember about 8 years ago when my boss was giving me his theory on disease and fungus, and thinking how far-fetched it was. I was thinking this guy was a little off the wall.

My thinking has changed for a few reasons.

The owner of the company advertises on a television show called Know the Cause with Doug Kaufmann. Watching this show unfolded the meaning of the word etiology - the study of the cause of disease - and the unusual fungus relationship. Doug Kaufmann, a nutritionist, fungal expert and researcher since 1969, talked about patients who would go through the same medical experience time and time again, never eliminating the initial medical problem. Patients would go from doctor to doctor, tell them their symptoms, end up with a medication or antibiotic, follow the same unhealthy diet, feel better for a short period of time, then be back to feeling symptoms again.

The dedication in Doug's book, The Fungus Link, sums it up. "This book is dedicated to...the living and deceased patients erroneously diagnosed with a serious disease when all the while they were actually suffering from an undiagnosed fungal condition, and...(dedicated to) the open-minded physicians who help the sick and prevent pain, suffering, and death by treating every symptom and disease of unknown etiology as though it was due to fungus. Your peers will scoff, but your patients will flourish."

The second reason for seeing fungus as the underlying culprit of disease - the amount of evidence, testimonials, and information that has had me and hundreds of others say, "It all fits together." That's not a great explanation, but when you see Doug Kaufmann's television show, you will be saying "it all fits together" too.