Fungal Disease Awareness Week in Puerto Rico and Ways to Identify Exposure Risks

Fungal Disease Awareness Week kicks off today and runs through the 24^th. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created the week of recognition to highlight the importance of recognizing serious fungal diseases.
 
According to the CDC:
Some fungal diseases go undiagnosed, leading to serious illness and death. Increased awareness about fungal diseases is one of the most important ways we can improve early recognition and reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment. A key clue to when a sick person may have a fungal disease is that he or she is being treated with medicine for another type of infection but does not get better.
 
“It’s also important to realize that the symptoms of some fungal diseases can be like those of COVID-19,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “Fungal exposure can also cause other health concerns. Many people that breathe elevated levels of it will have an allergic reaction. For those lucky to not have an allergic reaction, they may find it acts as a respiratory irritant instead. Exposure can even trigger an asthma attack in some people with the disease. These are all reasons why preventing the growth of indoor mold (fungi) is so important, especially in health care environments where people with weakened or suppressed immune systems can be found.”  
 
In Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean, the industrial hygiene and infection control professionals at Zimmetry Environmental are dedicated to protecting people from exposure to fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens. They offer comprehensive building inspections as well as air, surface, and water testing and monitoring services.
 
Last year, Zimmetry also sponsored an educational video about Fungal Disease Awareness Week that can still be seen at: https://youtu.be/T5y-dctOU2w
 
To learn more about Zimmetry and their indoor environmental quality (IEQ), infection control, and compliance testing and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail