Post by debbie on Dec 20, 2006 13:20:48 GMT -5
www.headlice.org/report/research/jnyes.pdf
www.headlice.org/news/2005/august/tiny_bugs_wreak_havoc.htm
Collembola are being found in human hair and skin. Infestations appear to be communicable from particular environmental conditions or from one person to another, and there is no known cure once a person is infested. And worse yet, people desperate for medical help with this problem are seldom taken seriously.
Many callers said their problems began after a water leak or a flooding in the home — an interesting detail, Altschuler thought. Could a leak somehow trigger an ecological avalanche that leads to the disease?
Allowing mold to grow undetected under the floors, and the subsequent damage gave mice and the filth they carry on their bodies an entryway into her air-conditioning ducts. For weeks, Brewer unwittingly blew the contaminants into her home simply by turning on the air conditioner.
Collembola are among the most widespread and abundant terrestrial arthropods. Collembola can be large enough to be seen on the backside of a leaf, but also minute enough to require the use of a microscope. The majority of them feed on fungal hyphae or decaying plant material, but they can also feast off of each other. Known mainly as soil-dwellers, they can swarm and aggregate in the millions. Referred to as decomposers, their primary function is to break down organic matter.
one possibility is that the victim becomes contaminated with mold or bacteria, and then tiny organisms that feed off those substances take over.
Altschuler’s group published a study in June that seems to support the mold theory.
They selected 20 people at random and collected samples of their skin, which were analyzed and photographed digitally through a microscope.
What they captured on film has some scientists scratching their heads — and others shaking theirs in utter disbelief.
Collembola, tiny shrimplike invertebrates that feed on fungus and bacteria, were found in 18 of the 20 test subjects, while none appeared in skin samples from the study’s control group, the study states.
“There were massive amounts of them,” Altschuler said.
What does it mean? The results were not conclusive, but because collembola break down organic matter including fungus and bacteria, those substances are likely a factor in their presence.
These findings included pollen, conidia or spores, hyphae, mycelium, algae or fibers, clumped skin or cellular debris, an occasional nematode, and what appeared to be insect eggs, larvae or embryos. These collective anomalies point to the compromised skin of most of the symptomatic study participants, and could directly or indirectly (through an immune or allergic response) produce sensations of stinging/biting and/or crawling, as well as some of the other symptoms.
Collembola are abundant in wastewater and contaminated environments making them of growing ecotoxicologic importance (Hopkin, 1997). Generally, they feed on decaying matter,algae, fungi and bacteria. In fact, a fungal infection appears to be a prerequisite condition.
www.headlice.org/news/2005/august/tiny_bugs_wreak_havoc.htm
Collembola are being found in human hair and skin. Infestations appear to be communicable from particular environmental conditions or from one person to another, and there is no known cure once a person is infested. And worse yet, people desperate for medical help with this problem are seldom taken seriously.
Many callers said their problems began after a water leak or a flooding in the home — an interesting detail, Altschuler thought. Could a leak somehow trigger an ecological avalanche that leads to the disease?
Allowing mold to grow undetected under the floors, and the subsequent damage gave mice and the filth they carry on their bodies an entryway into her air-conditioning ducts. For weeks, Brewer unwittingly blew the contaminants into her home simply by turning on the air conditioner.
Collembola are among the most widespread and abundant terrestrial arthropods. Collembola can be large enough to be seen on the backside of a leaf, but also minute enough to require the use of a microscope. The majority of them feed on fungal hyphae or decaying plant material, but they can also feast off of each other. Known mainly as soil-dwellers, they can swarm and aggregate in the millions. Referred to as decomposers, their primary function is to break down organic matter.
one possibility is that the victim becomes contaminated with mold or bacteria, and then tiny organisms that feed off those substances take over.
Altschuler’s group published a study in June that seems to support the mold theory.
They selected 20 people at random and collected samples of their skin, which were analyzed and photographed digitally through a microscope.
What they captured on film has some scientists scratching their heads — and others shaking theirs in utter disbelief.
Collembola, tiny shrimplike invertebrates that feed on fungus and bacteria, were found in 18 of the 20 test subjects, while none appeared in skin samples from the study’s control group, the study states.
“There were massive amounts of them,” Altschuler said.
What does it mean? The results were not conclusive, but because collembola break down organic matter including fungus and bacteria, those substances are likely a factor in their presence.
These findings included pollen, conidia or spores, hyphae, mycelium, algae or fibers, clumped skin or cellular debris, an occasional nematode, and what appeared to be insect eggs, larvae or embryos. These collective anomalies point to the compromised skin of most of the symptomatic study participants, and could directly or indirectly (through an immune or allergic response) produce sensations of stinging/biting and/or crawling, as well as some of the other symptoms.
Collembola are abundant in wastewater and contaminated environments making them of growing ecotoxicologic importance (Hopkin, 1997). Generally, they feed on decaying matter,algae, fungi and bacteria. In fact, a fungal infection appears to be a prerequisite condition.