Hospital Temporarily Closes Operating Rooms After Mold Discovery

Earlier this summer, The Seattle Times published a story about the temporary closure of the main operating rooms at a children’s hospital in Washington. According to their article, 14 rooms were closed after trace amounts of a mold known as Aspergillus were detected.

The hospital also published information about the mold discovery and reportedly sent a letter to patients who had surgery at the facility after January 20^th of this year. It shares the fact that routine air testing did indeed detect Aspergillus in an equipment storage room and in some of the hospital’s operating rooms.

There are some types of Aspergillus that can cause opportunistic infections, especially in people with a weakened or suppressed immune system. Aspergillosis is the infection caused by Aspergillus. There are several different forms of Aspergillosis, including allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), allergic Aspergillus sinusitis, aspergilloma, chronic pulmonary aspergillosis, invasive aspergillosis and cutaneous aspergillosis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), transmission occurs through inhalation of airborne conidia. Hospital-acquired infections may be sporadic or may be associated with dust exposure during building renovation or construction. Occasional outbreaks of cutaneous infection have been traced to contaminated biomedical devices.

“Tragically, last month CNN reported that one hospital patient that developed an infection from Aspergillus back in 2018 had passed away,” said Jason Dobranic, Ph.D., Vice President of Microbiology and Life Sciences at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “This case is a good reminder to all healthcare facilities of the threat posed by some types of fungi and the importance of comprehensive infection control efforts. In addition to infection concerns, exposure to Aspergillus or other types of fungi can cause allergic reactions, respiratory irritation and even asthma attacks in some people with the condition.”

EMSL Analytical, Inc., with a location in Seattle and dozens more across North America, provides air and other environmental testing services to identify the presence of Aspergillus and other types of mold and bacteria. The testing experts also offer all of the sampling supplies needed, test kits, and building inspection tools to identify moisture issues that could lead to mold growth. EMSL has even sponsored an educational video about aspergillosis and moldy indoor environments that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/z9rpI15Enao.

To learn more about mold or other indoor environmental quality (IEQ) testing services or inspection tools, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email  info@EMSL.com . To view a comprehensive line of IEQ test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.


About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is one of the leading testing laboratories with over 46 locations throughout the United States and Canada. EMSL is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider specializing in fast laboratory results for mold, bacteria, Legionella, USP 797, pathogens, asbestos, lead, soot, char & ash from fires, VOC’s, odors, radon, formaldehyde, indoor air quality, microbiology, environmental, industrial hygiene, radiological, food, beverage & consumer products and material testing services for the identification of unknown substances. EMSL services both professionals and the general public. EMSL maintains an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies including, but not limited to A2LA, AIHA LAP, LLC. (AIHA EMLAP, AIHA IHLAP, AIHA ELLAP), NVLAP, CDC ELITE, CPSC, CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX DOH, NJDEP and multiple other state accrediting agencies. Please visit our website at www.EMSL.com for a complete listing of accreditations. In addition, EMSL carries a wide range of Sampling Equipment and Investigative Products for environmental professionals.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail