Although sources of dampness in both the bedroom and the family room predicted increases in all of the microbial biomarkers, the associations of pets with these biomarkers were less consistent.
Thomas was afraid that the source of the dampness was Frau Stein's blood.
Previously we demonstrated that sources of home dampness (humidifier use, water damage) predicted elevated levels of endotoxin, a gram-negative bacterial (GNB) biomarker, in the homes of infants enrolled in the Epidemiology of Home Allergens and Asthma Study (Park et al. 2001b).
Cometary snowballs might be a source of this mesospheric dampness, but most experts are not yet ready to concede that's the case.
Kercsmar et al. (2006), in a controlled intervention study in damp houses of asthmatic children, reported that comprehensive remediation of dampness sources and visible mold caused dramatic reductions in severe exacerbation of asthma.
Comprehensive removal of dampness sources and visible mold caused dramatic reductions in asthma exacerbations.
Most studies included here relied on occupant reporting of dampness and mold, a possible source of both systematic bias and error.
At the first sign of dampness, water damage or mold growth find out the source and fix it.
Estimates of the prevalence of dampness or mold problems in houses are available from multiple sources, and include the following: at least 20% in European countries, the U.S., and Canada [ 2]; 14-40% in Europe, Russia, and North America [ 5]; and 50% in the U.S. [ 21].
So why the fear of dampness and smell?
