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My brother in law is getting ready to have a double lung transplant and one of the concerns after the transplant is mold. Do we have Aspergillus in ou...
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Mold #817124
Asked December 01, 2022, 2:24 PM EST
My brother in law is getting ready to have a double lung transplant and one of the concerns after the transplant is mold. Do we have Aspergillus in our area?
Thank you,
Tia Sepulveda
Umatilla County Oregon
Expert Response
Hello Tia,
Best wishes to your brother-in-law as he undergoes his surgery. Unfortunately, Aspergillus is a very common mold, typically found growing on dead leaves, stored grain, compost piles, and decaying vegetation. Simple ways to try to reduce exposure are to take off your shoes before entering the home (to avoid transferring aspergillus from outside to inside), and storing fruits, vegetables, grains, and produce in well-ventilated areas to reduce the chance of their spoiling.
You can always visually check for mold, and often you can smell it. All mold, doesn't matter what type, should be removed. You can do this by mixing a batch of half water, half white vinegar. Use this to wet down hard surfaces and then scrub to remove the mold. Your brother-in-law should not be in the house until the mold is removed, and the area has thoroughly dried, and you have ventilated the house to ensure any loose mold spores have been removed. You can ventilate the house by opening windows for 10-15 minutes, and if you have a whole house fans or ceiling fans, also running those. While it does drop the indoor temperature a little bit, this method is excellent at reducing the humidity in the home, and circulating in fresh air.
I am including some additional links from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that you may find helpful.
Best wishes to your brother-in-law as he undergoes his surgery. Unfortunately, Aspergillus is a very common mold, typically found growing on dead leaves, stored grain, compost piles, and decaying vegetation. Simple ways to try to reduce exposure are to take off your shoes before entering the home (to avoid transferring aspergillus from outside to inside), and storing fruits, vegetables, grains, and produce in well-ventilated areas to reduce the chance of their spoiling.
You can always visually check for mold, and often you can smell it. All mold, doesn't matter what type, should be removed. You can do this by mixing a batch of half water, half white vinegar. Use this to wet down hard surfaces and then scrub to remove the mold. Your brother-in-law should not be in the house until the mold is removed, and the area has thoroughly dried, and you have ventilated the house to ensure any loose mold spores have been removed. You can ventilate the house by opening windows for 10-15 minutes, and if you have a whole house fans or ceiling fans, also running those. While it does drop the indoor temperature a little bit, this method is excellent at reducing the humidity in the home, and circulating in fresh air.
I am including some additional links from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that you may find helpful.
- Where Aspergillus is found: https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/aspergillosis/causes.html
- Aspergillosis risk and prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/aspergillosis/risk-prevention.html
