Fungal Disease Awareness Week and Ways to Protect Patients and Building Occupants in Puerto Rico

For 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated September 18th through the 22nd as Fungal Disease Awareness Week (FDAW). The week is meant to highlight the importance of recognizing serious fungal diseases early enough in the course of a patient’s illness to provide life-saving treatment.

According to the CDC:

Many people are affected by fungal diseases at different points in their lives, whether dealing with a somewhat common ringworm infection or coping with losing a loved one from a healthcare-associated fungal infection. In some parts of the United States and the world, it is difficult to avoid breathing in fungal spores that cause infections like histoplasmosis, blastomycosis or Valley fever.

“Fungal diseases are increasing worldwide and healthcare providers often miss fungal diseases, at least initially, warns the CDC,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “Misdiagnoses or delayed diagnoses can cost lives. Exposure to elevated levels of fungi can also cause other health concerns. Many people that breathe it will have an allergic reaction or it can act as a respiratory irritant. Exposure can even trigger an asthma attack in some people with the disease. These are all reason why mold should not be growing in the built environment.”

In Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean, the IEQ, industrial hygiene and infection control professionals at Zimmetry Environmental support FDAW and are dedicated to protecting people from exposure to fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens. They offer comprehensive building inspections as well as infection control testing of air, surface and water samples. Several years ago, Zimmetry even 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 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