Mold Hysteria: Origin of the Hoax

The topic of building related illness came into the public's eye as a major health issue in the mid 1970s, when several cases of pneumonia were found to be associated with an infectious agent in Philadelphia. This agent was subsequently found to be a gram-...

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Main Authors: Christopher Chang, M. Eric Gershwin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2005-01-01
Series:Clinical and Developmental Immunology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17402520500131409
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author Christopher Chang
M. Eric Gershwin
author_facet Christopher Chang
M. Eric Gershwin
author_sort Christopher Chang
collection DOAJ
description The topic of building related illness came into the public's eye as a major health issue in the mid 1970s, when several cases of pneumonia were found to be associated with an infectious agent in Philadelphia. This agent was subsequently found to be a gram-positive bacterium known as Legionella pneumoniae. During the ensuing 30 years, a myriad of symptom constellations, disorders, clinical syndromes and illnesses have been attributed to indoor living or working environments. Over time, there appeared to be no limit to claims of building related illness, and it was “reported” that almost any kind of clinical symptom, real or imaginary, could be blamed on indoor environments. As society became more and more litigious, many of these disorders were erroneously played out in courtrooms rather than medical offices, creating a circus atmosphere surrounding this class of disorders. With the advent of the internet, as well as other advances in telecommunications, these issues eventually became part of a media frenzy, and all truths could be thrown out the window as issues became more and more decided upon by emotions and unfounded beliefs, rather than scientific data and logical thinking.
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spelling doaj-art-1d942469668441679ed0466bd6f24ddf2025-02-03T01:29:06ZengWileyClinical and Developmental Immunology1740-25221740-25302005-01-0112215115810.1080/17402520500131409Mold Hysteria: Origin of the HoaxChristopher Chang0M. Eric Gershwin1Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, 451 E. Health Sciences Drive, Suite 6510, Davis 95616, CA, USADivision of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, 451 E. Health Sciences Drive, Suite 6510, Davis 95616, CA, USAThe topic of building related illness came into the public's eye as a major health issue in the mid 1970s, when several cases of pneumonia were found to be associated with an infectious agent in Philadelphia. This agent was subsequently found to be a gram-positive bacterium known as Legionella pneumoniae. During the ensuing 30 years, a myriad of symptom constellations, disorders, clinical syndromes and illnesses have been attributed to indoor living or working environments. Over time, there appeared to be no limit to claims of building related illness, and it was “reported” that almost any kind of clinical symptom, real or imaginary, could be blamed on indoor environments. As society became more and more litigious, many of these disorders were erroneously played out in courtrooms rather than medical offices, creating a circus atmosphere surrounding this class of disorders. With the advent of the internet, as well as other advances in telecommunications, these issues eventually became part of a media frenzy, and all truths could be thrown out the window as issues became more and more decided upon by emotions and unfounded beliefs, rather than scientific data and logical thinking.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17402520500131409
spellingShingle Christopher Chang
M. Eric Gershwin
Mold Hysteria: Origin of the Hoax
Clinical and Developmental Immunology
title Mold Hysteria: Origin of the Hoax
title_full Mold Hysteria: Origin of the Hoax
title_fullStr Mold Hysteria: Origin of the Hoax
title_full_unstemmed Mold Hysteria: Origin of the Hoax
title_short Mold Hysteria: Origin of the Hoax
title_sort mold hysteria origin of the hoax
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17402520500131409
work_keys_str_mv AT christopherchang moldhysteriaoriginofthehoax
AT mericgershwin moldhysteriaoriginofthehoax