Fungal Disease Awareness Week and Mitigating Microbial Exposure Risks in Puerto Rico

Fungal Disease Awareness Week (FDAW) kicks off today and runs through the 20^th. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created the annual event to highlight the importance of recognizing, treating, and preventing fungal diseases.

CDC reports that fungal diseases are increasing worldwide, and signs suggest this trend will further increase. The agency also warns that studies show that global temperature increases may allow environmental infectious fungi to grow in new areas that were previously too cold.

People with a weakened or suppressed immune system are typically those most at risk of developing a fungal infection. However, exposure to high levels of fungi can cause other concerns for almost everyone. This is because breathing elevated concentrations of fungi can cause respiratory irritation, allergies, and act as an asthma trigger for some asthmatics.

“Awareness of fungal diseases and recognizing potential exposure risks are some of the most important ways to prevent future infections,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “It’s vital for the public to recognize that anytime there is water damage or humidity problems in a home, school, office, or other type of building that has resulted in mold growth, it becomes a concern for building occupants. This is especially true in healthcare environments or other places with populations with immune issues.”

In Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean, the industrial hygiene, indoor environmental quality, and infection control professionals at Zimmetry Environmental are dedicated to protecting people from exposure to fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens. Their professionals offer comprehensive building inspections as well as air, surface, and water testing and monitoring services to identify and mitigate any potential exposure concerns.

Several years ago, Zimmetry 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, 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 S Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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