The State of Fungus in the US - A History, Part 2

Okay, here's the answer to the Trivia Question from yesterday's blog:

The first person to develop an antifungal agent was actually a collaborative effort by two women, Rachel F. Brown, an organic chemist, and Elizabeth L. Hazen, PhD. in Bacteriology and Immunology. In 1950, their 'fungicidin' to specifically combat C. neoformans and C. albicans, was presented to the National Academy of Science. Four years later it was approved by the FDA for sale as an antifungal agent, and the name was changed to nystatin, in honor of the state in which it was discovered - New York State.

The development of other antifungal agents in the United States followed suit, with geographical, military, CDC and other opportunities influencing their need. Unfortunately, the role of antibiotics masked the importance of antifungal agents, yet had not eliminated their need completely.

Concurrently, information regarding the presence of Aspergillis and Candida in medical reports for patients who had taken antibiotics started surfacing quietly. In fact, the AMA Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry mandated pharmaceutical agencies to report on packaging the hazard of using antibiotics and the association of Candida growth. Reports of mycotic disease related to antibiotic use continued to rise into the 60's, as did reports of fungal infections in patients taking hormone therapies.

Research on antibiotic use and its correlation with fungal pathogens helped urge the formation of the first Medical Mycology Society of Americas (MMSA) in the early 1960's, and elevated credibility of the United States in medical mycology and research as one of the top countries in the world.

The first image above left is Aspergillus. The second image above right is Candida albicans.

Resources: http://www.aspergillus.org.uk/secure/articles/pdfs/MM44supplement1/17050419.pdf

Do Not Disturb

The summer in our part of the country has been fairly nice. For humans, it's been a good balance of weather. It hasn't given us much time to stew over "this hot, humid weather" or "too much rain." Each week has produced a few good swimming, boating or fishing days, and a few rainy days to replenish the moisture lost during the hot days.

One unusual difference this summer over past summers, has been the overabundance of mushrooms. They have mysteriously poked their heads out of odd places in yards, on forest floors, on trees, and about anywhere else they decide to cling. Interesting as they may be, they are most likely not edible and certainly don't look like your basic maiitake or button variety. Some look downright frightening and some beckon a person closer with their color or odd shape.

For the curious type, researching lawn and garden mushrooms on the web is a must. On one website, over 40 different varieties were identified as growing in a backyard or wooded area. The majority of them were non-poisonous, and eating a couple varieties would result in mild to acute gastrointestinal symptoms. These symptoms are due to ingestion, but what other health symptoms can their presence create?

When you have a moist climate, you generally have mushrooms and other fungal inhabitants. The spores of the fungus can be disturbed easily, sending them airborne, and causing health problems ranging from cough, fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, skin disease, thrush, inner ear infection, and sinus infection. If left untreated, some symptoms of fungal infection may progress to central nervous system malfunction, and potentially major organ and brain infiltration.

Fungal infections related to airborne fungal spores, from mushrooms and other fungi, have occurred for centuries. Within the past two decades, a complex fungus has emerged in the Western United States. It's name - Cryptococcus Gattii (C. gattii). This problematic fungus was discovered in isolated cases on Vancouver Island in the 1990's, and over the past few years is appearing in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. Fortunately, there have been few deaths amongst the hundreds infected by the spores.

These fungal spores typically come from the soil and trees, where the conditions are perfect for the growth of fungus. Some of these fungal spores may stay in isolated areas, some may spread rapidly due to disturbance of the growing environment. Some fungal infections appear only in immunocompromised individuals, and some randomly target healthy individuals with no similar characteristics. With this in mind, the one thing of importance is to monitor your health - if you've had a sharp, irritating cough, persistent fever, and other fungal symptoms for a prolonged period of time - see your healthcare professional. It may take 2-4 months before symptoms occur, too. And, be wary of the environment you are in - step lightly and do not disturb the fungus!

Change

Some days we have it, some days we don't. Fatigue that is. Occasional drowsiness during the day or lack of interest is a common symptom of fatigue that effects the general population, and doesn't necessarily mean there is a physical, emotional, or psychological problem of any kind. It may mean you worked too hard in the garden yesterday or had a decision that wore you out mentally. These can be overcome easily by changing the habit or process in which you do that particular task. If you've made the change and your everyday responsibilities return without an abundance of fatigue, then you most likely don't suffer from chronic or persistent fatigue.

There are a number of factors that point to a reoccurring fatigue problem. Chronic fatigue usually lasts for six months or longer and interferes with daily function. The number one problem is an overgrowth of microorganisms in the body. After years of taking antibiotics or other medications, eating processed foods and sugar, and being exposed to chemicals, airborne particulates and other irritants, the body becomes less efficient, weakens and becomes a breeding ground for fungus. The longer a body is fed additives, sugars, and medications, the worst symptoms become. The body weakens according to the level of abuse throughout the years and what the body is exposed to. This is why there is a tendency for older people to develop disease.

Symptoms are the result of a buildup of fungus in the body, which alters the function of many internal organs and processes. In other words, fungus throws a wrench into typical human physiology. People reach a certain age - symptoms occur at varying ages - and they start to feel aches, pains, sluggishness, mild depression, and sleep disorders to name a few. The body is telling you a major change is necessary.

The number one step to take is change your diet - eliminate 99% of carbohydrates, eat plenty of vegetables, nuts and meat for at least six months. This change alone should increase energy levels. Also, take antifungals to kill off any microorganisms that have accumulated in the body and are causing problems for specific functions.

Fatigue has so much to do with inactivity, which is why exercise is so critical. If you are not used to physical activity, try something you enjoy doing, motivation will not be as difficult. There are so many different kinds of exercise available even if you live in a remote area where a gym is nonexistent. If you have stairs, try walking up and down them for 20 minutes a day. Get an exercise ball and work every part of your body, along with some type of cardio workout like walking or hiking.

Keep your mental health strong by surrounding yourself with others who are positive and active. Also, set up goals, short term and long term. Sometimes the last thing someone wants to do is the best thing for them. Schedule weekly visits with friends, join a knitting club, join a basketball league or golf league, meet relatives for a picnic. There are so many opportunities to break out of a rut and turn your thought process into a brighter outlook on life.

This is not intended to oversimplify a common, sometimes very debilitating disease. There are many factors that play a role in chronic fatigue. The advice above is a list of general techniques that, if tried, have helped others in the same situation. Sometimes all it takes is just a little advice to help change your life.

A Month-Long Amtrak Ride

The main reason for the long absence with this blog - family. A very broad category, but an important one.

First of all, a person can learn so much about health conditions when someone in the family has one, whether it is yourself or another person close to you. Some may be small, minor and easily treatable health conditions, and then there are those that will turn a person's world upside down and backwards.

Every day there are people having heart attacks, aneurysms, kidney failures, head trauma, suffering severe burns and so on. These people definitely suffer to varying degrees and either have persistent or chronic problems, which eventually leads to death, they adjust to a new way of living, or recover and go back to life as they had lived it.

All families are different. Here is mine - although I try to not take this blog to a personal level. Within the last few months there have been family members and two friends who suffered either a stroke, a heart attack, both, a severe foodbourne illness, have come out of remission from cancer, or lost their battle with cancer. This alters everything we like to call normal everyday routine. These people who are suffering may never get to go back to the 'normal everyday routine', or have to rearrange their idea of what normal is. And it doesn't matter how hard a person may fight for their lives or against the unknown, nature will play it's role in which road will be taken and how that road is travelled. It's like getting on an Amtrak train and telling the conductor you'll get off at whatever stop he determines. Just don't give any one of us the itinerary.

And, as far as the ages of the people each disease has affected? A niece, 20 years old; a father-in-law, 74; a cousin, 45; a friend's 12 year-old daughter; and a another friend, 72. A pretty broad range of ages, testifying to the 'it can happen to anyone' theory.

This is not a plea for sympathy, just an observation, and a vision of the hardship so many people go through daily when they're dealing with disease and trauma. Sometimes it takes going through tough times yourself to see - REALLY see - the physical, emotional and psychological pain both the sick and their families experience. It's not an easy road, but you know, it really does heighten a person's empathy and builds a stronger, more responsive self. And, in the grand scheme of things in life, being there for family is the best, most rewarding trip anyone could ever take!

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.

"Histo"

"Histo" is the shortened version for the fungal disease called Histoplasmosis that infects the lungs of humans living primarily in the Ohio and Mississippi River Valley's. The fungus was not known until just before the 1950's, showing many doctors prior to this time the same signs as tuberculosis. Once again, antibiotics were given which would kill off bacteria and leave the fungus behind to thrive in the body.

According to Tom Volk, a professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, there have been 40 million people who have had histoplasmosis in the U.S., and 200,000 new occurrences of the disease every year. Anyone can get the fungal disease, but people with an autoimmune disease, infants, children, the elderly, and the immune-suppressed have a likelier chance of being seriously affected. Certain professions such as construction workers, landscapers, archaeologists, poultry farmers, geologists, and pest control workers are extremely susceptible to inhalation of the fungal spores because of their close proximity to bird or bat droppings.

Histoplasmosis comes from soil contaminated with bird or bat droppings that has been disturbed, sending the fungal spores into the air where inhaled by humans. Symptoms occur between 3 to 17 days after exposure and are generally mild - chills, fever, dry cough, chest pains and an ill feeling. Mild infection of the fungus will subside on its own, while more severe cases are treated with antifungals.

The only way to avoid the disease is to avoid areas heavily inhabited by birds or bats. Before digging in a particular area, ask your local soil resources division whether the soil is known to be contaminated by the feces. To ensure protection, wear gloves and a mask.

The fungal spores of this infection have affected a large number of people throughout history, and the numbers could be even more innumerous knowing of the misdiagnosis pre-1950's. The next time you want to dig in the soil or work around areas potentially littered with bird and bat droppings, remember "Histo" and take extra precaution.

Air to Crops to Humans

Grain crops have been associated with fungal disease for many years. Each type of grain seems to have its own battle against specific fungal disease, the rye plant with ergot poisoning, and the wheat plant with fungal head blight. There are also the fungal diseases carried by insects that infect plants in the fields and grain in storage areas. All of these can produce mycotoxins harmful to humans.

Fungal head blight, or Fusarium Head Blight, has been occurring on spring and winter crops of wheat, barley and durum in North Dakota and other areas of the United States. Yield of these crops are significantly reduced because blight can not be contained to a particular part of the plant or one section of a field. The wind rapidly spreads the spores of the fungus from crop to crop, or from flower to flower, rendering all exposed plants useless.

Insects may also carry viruses and fungal diseases from plant to plant, leaving traces of the disease anywhere it lands. Aphids are particularly harmful to crops by sucking the juices out of the plant, drying it up and taking the majority of nutrients, also spreading disease.

The majority of farmers in recent years have practiced a combination of preventative steps to prevent transmission of disease in grain crops - planting the most resistant type of grain, rotating crops, tilling to bury effected plant particles, planting high-quality seeds, and alternating planting times. This certainly decreases risk of acquiring contaminated grain products but is not full-proof.

Even though harmful effects of toxins in grain has been greatly reduced over the years, on occasion some may slip through the cracks of quality control and end up in a food product. Buying organic foods is probably the best decision to avoid potential consumption of grain products contaminated with fungus.

Its Not Just What We Breathe

According to the USDA, millions of foodborne illnesses occur each year with most of them being preventable. Foodborne illnesses are mainly due to improper storage, and cooking or handling of certain foods, however, other factors determine an individuals level of fungus contamination. The source of food and susceptibility of the individual - age and physical health - play a crucial role in being and staying healthy.

Definately pay close attention to foods purchased and their source. Doug Kaufmann, a national expert on fungus, recommends avoidance of grains, animal products from animals fed with contaminated feed, and certain nuts. The University of Minnesota - Extension explains why: "Fungal infestation and subsequent mycotoxin production can occur during plant growth, maturity, harvesting, storage, and processing of grains....In addition, grain that is damaged, immature, drought stricken, or otherwise stressed is more susceptible to mold growth. Molds may reduce the nutrient content and quality of the grain, but the toxic effects of metabolites are generally of primary concern."

Many of the food items contaminated with fungi are corn and other grains, peanuts, tree nuts, and soybeans. In this case, the fungus itself is not the harmful agent but the aflatoxin produced by the fungus. Aflatoxins have been linked to a slew of diseases, including cancer.

A good immune system should help prevent illness and disease, yet over time overexposure to aflatoxins in food can build in the body and break down a functioning, healthy system. Anyone with an autoimmune disease, young children, the elderly, and pregnant women are most susceptible to effects of fungus. This does not mean everyone else is exempt from aflatoxin exposure. They should be just as aware of food purchases that contain grains and certain nuts. Most communities have health food stores, although a little more in price, offer organic foods that are unparalleled for safety.

Along with mold exposure in the home, food contamination poses risk to anyone's health. The best course of action for both - eliminate them.