Aemtek is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to our environmental laboratory team, Jerry Oliveras and Danielle Rotondo. Jerry will be opening and directing Aemtek's new chemistry lab which will be offering chemical testing and Danielle will assist our valued clients and play an integral part in helping to further build and promote the capabilities of Aemtek.

Before joining Aemtek, Jerry was the Laboratory Director & President of a well-respected commercial food laboratory located in San Francisco, CA. He has over 20 years of professional experience. He has worked in several environmental, food and agricultural testing laboratories and has experience in the fields of food and water microbiology, analytical chemistry, laboratory management, regulatory compliance, and chemical research. He is a recognized expert in food chemistry, microbiology and technology with wide experience in troubleshooting industry problems.

Danielle was previously the Public Relations Specialist for Catapult Direct Marketing and Target Profiling. Prior to that, Danielle practiced Public Relations for various consultants in the San Francisco Bay Area, while pursuing her Bachelors of Science in Public Relations and minor in Psychology at San Jose State University.

To learn more about their qualifications and experiences, go to the The Aemtek Team page.

We're pleased to present the newly redesigned Aemtek website. The new site has user-friendly features and a new navigation menu. The Resource section is enriched with an updated Microbial Database, Sampling Guides, Aemtek Technical Articles, RSS Feeds, Regulations & Guidelines, and Industry Links. Industry related events will be announced on a new event calender and a Meet the Aemtek Team section is revised under the Company section where you can learn about the experiences and qualifications of Aemtek's staff. As always, we welcome your comments and feedback.

Visit us: http://www.aemtek.com

Aemtek provides accurate, fast and reliable laboratory services and our commitment to scientific excellence, quality service and advanced technology assures our clients that their projects are done right the first time, every time, and on time.

For more information, contact Danielle Rotondo at (510) 979-7979.

Allergens from dust mites, cat, dog, cockroach, rodents, and mold pose one of the most common serious health threats in indoor environments. The allergens produced by these organisms, can cause allergic symptoms by becoming aerosolized and entering the human airways or by direct contact.  Respiratory symptoms typically include wheezing, coughing, sinusitis, chronic or perennial rhinitis, and allergic asthma.  When these allergens come in contact with the skin, it may cause, dermatitis (eczema), hives and itching; or in the eyes, it may cause itching, burning, swelling, and watering.  Some allergens such as dust mites, cockroach and cat also have been shown to exacerbate symptoms or trigger asthma.  In addition to their allergenic potential, cockroaches and rodents pose serious threats as disease vectors.

1. Dust Mite Allergens

Dust mite allergens are considered one of the most potent allergens found in indoor environments. The two most commonly found dust mite species in the U.S are Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus.  Allergens of these species are known as Der f1 and Der p1 respectively. Dust mite allergens can easily become airborne when dust is disturbed. It has been documented that exposure in early childhood to house-dust mite allergens is an important determinant of the subsequent development of asthma.

1. Dog and Cat Allergens

Of the domesticated animals found in urban areas, cats are one of the most allergenic.  Studies have shown that sufficient cat allergen can be carried on owners clothing and it can cause severe allergic reactions in co-workers that do not own cats.  Dogs are far less allergenic than cats.  Allergic reactions to both cats and dogs are caused by proteins found mainly in the animal's saliva, urine, and to a lesser extent in their dander. Fel d 1 and Can f 1 are the most common allergens from cat and dog, respectively.  They are small-molecular-weight proteins that are able to circulate on the air currents throughout homes.  In additions, these allergens are also sticky and become easily attached to clothes, walls, and furniture, making it virtually impossible for any room to be completely allergen-free.  As a result, several reports have shown that dog and cat allergens are present in more than 99% of the homes in the US regardless of the presence or absence of these pets at the time of testing.

1. Cockroach Allergens

Allergy reactions caused by cockroaches are produced from exposure to their saliva, fecal material, eggs, secretions, and cast off skin.  Cockroach allergens are similar to those of dust mites in that they occur in house dust and bedding.  The most common cockroach allergens found in the US are from the German cockroach (Blatella germanica) the Bla g 1 and Bla g 2 to which analytical tests are available.  The symptoms of cockroach allergy do not differ from other types of inhalant allergies. 

1. Rodent Allergens

Rodent allergens include rat and mice allergens.  These allergens are especially important in laboratories where these animals are handled for research and in establishments and in homes where mice and rats are kept as pets as well as in inner-city houses or buildings. Allergic reactions are most common in people handling the animal's bedding and cage-washing.   Mouse allergens have been found in over 80% of the US households in the inner-city areas.  These allergies are mainly caused by the rodent's saliva, urine, and dander.  In addition to the allergenic potential, rodents can pose a serious threat to humans by carrying diseases such as Hantavirus. Exposure to such diseases is generally rare but when it does occur, can cause severe health problems or even death.

1. Mold Allergens

Molds are certain kind of fungi that grow by producing mycelia which many times looks fuzzy or velvety.  Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce that can move through indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on such as wood, paper, carpet, drywall, or foods.  When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed. 

References

Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control, Janet Macher, Sc.D., M.P.H., Editor. 1999. ACGIH, 1330 Kemper Meadow Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45240-1634.

Phipatanakul W.  2002.  Rodent Allergens.  Curr. Allergy Asthma Sep.2 (5) 412-6 (Abs)

Stuart Greenberg. 2003.  Cockroach Allergen Reduction Using Precision-Targeted IPM and the Lead Dust Cleaning Protocol. Final Report.  Cooperative Agreement #OHLHH0069-99.  Environmental Health Watch, Cleveland Ohio.

Websites

www.aaaai.org/media/news_releases/

http://www8.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept37389/files/210524.html

http://lancaster.unl.edu/enviro/pest/factsheets/

www.aeclp.org/hhe/hhe_rodents.htm

www.epa.gov/mold/moldresources.html

http://www.acgih.org/

http://www.aiha.org/

http://www.allergies.about.com/

http://www.allergyweb.com/

http://www.cal-iaq.org/

http://www.calepa.ca.gov/

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates foodborne pathogens cause 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths each year in America. The USDA Economic Research Service estimates the cost from foodborne pathogens is in excess of $6.9 billion; including medical costs, missed work time and the costs of premature deaths. With the US food and agricultural industries totaling in excess of $306 billion in revenues annually, the amount spent on monitoring safety, quality and preventing foodborne illness is staggering.

Foodborne diseases are caused by ingesting bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses or their toxins through contaminated food or drinking water. More than 200 known diseases are transmitted through food, and more than half of all recognized foodborne disease outbreaks have unknown causes, indicating the real number of disease-causing agents is likely much larger than 200. The symptoms of foodborne illnesses range from mild gastroenteritis to life-threatening neurological, hepatic, and renal syndromes. A pathogen's ability to cause illness can be very different from the severity of the illness it causes. Some pathogens cause a great number of illnesses but the severity is low. Others cause few illnesses, but those illnesses are very severe or even fatal. In addition to disease caused by direct infection, some foodborne diseases are caused by the presence of a toxin in the food that was produced by a microbe in the food. Staphylococcus aureus can grow in food and produce a toxin that causes severe vomiting. The rare yet deadly disease botulism occurs when Clostridium botulinum grows in food and produces a powerful paralytic toxin. These toxins can produce illness even if the microbes that produced them are no longer there, commonly having been killed by some heat treatment as with canned foods. Foodborne pathogens can cause actual infections in the bloodstream or tissues, in the gut or simply pass thru leaving toxins behind which cause the symptoms of foodborne illness. Each agent has a specific typical progression of illness and symptoms. Since symptoms commonly include vomiting and diarrhea, a laboratory test is required to identify the causative agent.

The major culprits in bacterial foodborne illness are Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, Clostridium, Shigella, E. coli 0157:H7 and Staphylococcus. Listeria and E. coli 0157:H7 are also considered emerging pathogens since there role in food illness have only become well recognized in the past 20 years. The first major outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 was reported in 1982 and an early major outbreak with Listeria occurring in 1985 from California produced soft cheese. Recent outbreaks in fresh produce of E. coli 0157:H7 from a number of sources demonstrate that this previously animal product (beef) associated pathogen is a threat throughout the food system. Another important and common emerging pathogen is not a bacterium at all, but a virus. The Calicivirus or Norwalk-like virus is an extremely common causative agent but is rarely diagnosed due to a lack of a widely available laboratory test for it. It causes an acute gastrointestinal illness, usually with more vomiting than diarrhea, which resolves within two days. Unlike many foodborne pathogens that have animal reservoirs, it is believed that Norwalk-like viruses spread primarily from one infected person to another. The frequency of outbreaks caused by these emerging organisms has been increasing worldwide, including in the western developed countries. New foodborne disease threats occur for a number of reasons. These include increase in international travel and trade, microbial adaptation, changes in the food production system, and human demographics or behavior pattern shifts.

By Florence Wu, PhD. Principal Mycologist, Aemtek, Inc.

By Jerry Oliveras, PhD. Chemistry Director, Aemtek, Inc.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates foodborne pathogens cause 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths each year in America. The USDA Economic Research Service estimates the cost from foodborne pathogens is in excess of $6.9 billion; including medical costs, missed work time and the costs of premature deaths. With the US food and agricultural industries totaling in excess of $306 billion in revenues annually, the amount spent on monitoring safety, quality and preventing foodborne illness is staggering.

Foodborne diseases are caused by ingesting bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses or their toxins through contaminated food or drinking water. More than 200 known diseases are transmitted through food, and more than half of all recognized foodborne disease outbreaks have unknown causes, indicating the real number of disease-causing agents is likely much larger than 200. The symptoms of foodborne illnesses range from mild gastroenteritis to life-threatening neurological, hepatic, and renal syndromes. A pathogen's ability to cause illness can be very different from the severity of the illness it causes. Some pathogens cause a great number of illnesses but the severity is low. Others cause few illnesses, but those illnesses are very severe or even fatal. In addition to disease caused by direct infection, some foodborne diseases are caused by the presence of a toxin in the food that was produced by a microbe in the food. Staphylococcus aureus can grow in food and produce a toxin that causes severe vomiting. The rare yet deadly disease botulism occurs when Clostridium botulinum grows in food and produces a powerful paralytic toxin. These toxins can produce illness even if the microbes that produced them are no longer there, commonly having been killed by some heat treatment as with canned foods. Foodborne pathogens can cause actual infections in the bloodstream or tissues, in the gut or simply pass thru leaving toxins behind which cause the symptoms of foodborne illness. Each agent has a specific typical progression of illness and symptoms. Since symptoms commonly include vomiting and diarrhea, a laboratory test is required to identify the causative agent.

The major culprits in bacterial foodborne illness are Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, Clostridium, Shigella, E. coli 0157:H7 and Staphylococcus. Listeria and E. coli 0157:H7 are also considered emerging pathogens since there role in food illness have only become well recognized in the past 20 years. The first major outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 was reported in 1982 and an early major outbreak with Listeria occurring in 1985 from California produced soft cheese. Recent outbreaks in fresh produce of E. coli 0157:H7 from a number of sources demonstrate that this previously animal product (beef) associated pathogen is a threat throughout the food system. Another important and common emerging pathogen is not a bacterium at all, but a virus. The Calicivirus or Norwalk-like virus is an extremely common causative agent but is rarely diagnosed due to a lack of a widely available laboratory test for it. It causes an acute gastrointestinal illness, usually with more vomiting than diarrhea, which resolves within two days. Unlike many foodborne pathogens that have animal reservoirs, it is believed that Norwalk-like viruses spread primarily from one infected person to another. The frequency of outbreaks caused by these emerging organisms has been increasing worldwide, including in the western developed countries. New foodborne disease threats occur for a number of reasons. These include increase in international travel and trade, microbial adaptation, changes in the food production system, and human demographics or behavior pattern shifts.

Food Safety Information Links:

The Gateway to US Government Food Safety Information

http://www.foodsafety.gov/

The US Food & Drug Administration
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html

USDA-FSIS Food Safety
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/
Foodborne_Illness_&_Disease_Fact_Sheets/index.asp

CDC Foodborne Infectious Agents
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/
foodborneinfections_g.htm

A Reference Guide for Foodborne Pathogens
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FS127

Foodborne Illness Basics
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/
dtopics/foodborne/basics.html

Dr. Florence Wu, Principal Mycologist, Aemtek, Inc.

Aemtek Analytical Services
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Culturable fungi
Environmental bacteria
Legionella pneumophila
Sewage contamination screen
Allergens
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Microbiology/mycology research, consultation, and legal support
Material microbial resistence testing

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