Details:

Alternative Title:
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
Personal Author:
Chow, Nancy A. ; Toda, Mitsuru ; Pennington, Audrey F. ; Anassi, Enock ; Atmar, Robert L. ; ... More +
Chow, Nancy A. ; Toda, Mitsuru ; Pennington, Audrey F. ; Anassi, Enock ; Atmar, Robert L. ; Cox-Ganser, Jean M. ; Da Silva, Juliana ; Garcia, Bobbiejean ; Kontoyiannis, Dimitrios P. ; Ostrosky-Zeichner, Luis ; Leining, Lauren M. ; McCarty, Jennifer ; Al Mohajer, Mayar ; Murthy, Bhavini Patel ; Park, Ju-Hyeong ; Schulte, Joann ; Shuford, Jennifer A. ; Skrobarcek, Kimberly A. ; Solomon, Samantha ; Strysko, Jonathan ; Chiller, Tom M. ; Jackson, Brendan R. ; Chew, Ginger L. ; Beer, Karlyn D. Less -
Description:
In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused unprecedented flooding and devastation to the Houston metropolitan area (1). Mold exposure was a serious concern because investigations after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005) had documented extensive mold growth in flood-damaged homes (2,3). Because mold exposure can cause serious illnesses known as invasive mold infections (4,5), and immunosuppressed persons are at high risk for these infections (6,7), several federal agencies recommend that immunosuppressed persons avoid mold-contaminated sites (8,9). To assess the extent of exposure to mold and flood-damaged areas among persons at high risk for invasive mold infections after Hurricane Harvey, CDC and Texas health officials conducted a survey among 103 immunosuppressed residents in Houston. Approximately half of the participants (50) engaged in cleanup of mold and water-damaged areas; these activities included heavy cleanup (23), such as removing furniture or removing drywall, or light cleanup (27), such as wiping down walls or retrieving personal items. Among immunosuppressed persons who performed heavy cleanup, 43% reported wearing a respirator, as did 8% who performed light cleanup. One participant reported wearing all personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended for otherwise healthy persons (i.e., respirator, boots, goggles, and gloves). Immunosuppressed residents who are at high risk for invasive mold infections were exposed to mold and flood-damaged areas after Hurricane Harvey; recommendations from health care providers to avoid exposure to mold and flood-damaged areas could mitigate the risk to immunosuppressed persons.
Subjects:
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Cyclonic Storms Disasters Environmental Exposure Full Report Fungi Humans Immunocompromised Host Invasive Fungal Infections Risk Assessment
Source:
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 68(21):469-473
Pubmed ID:
31145717
Pubmed Central ID:
PMC6542480
Document Type:
Journal Article
Name as Subject:
Hurricane Harvey, 2017 ; Hurricane Harvey, 2017
Hurricane Harvey, 2017 ; Hurricane Harvey, 2017 Less -
Place as Subject:
United States
Collection(s):
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
Main Document Checksum:
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urn:sha256:4f0ae70a1aca8f31e63c45a91d274269e8adb19d35adf8a7a7fedab891e988b9
Download URL:
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/78938/cdc_78938_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

• mm6821a1.nxml

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