MOLD COUNT DELIVERS MORE MISERY TO AREA

The feverish weather that has dazed the region over the past two weeks also is making many people sick.

The reason is that the high heat and humidity are causing the organisms known as mold to proliferate in record numbers. At a time of year when allergists usually twiddle their thumbs, the weather is torturing allergy sufferers and others.

"We're seeing a number of people sick who are not normally sick," said Dr. Robert Sacha, a Cape Girardeau allergist.

People who are allergic to pollen and mold usually can reduce the suffering by seeing a doctor in advance of the season.

"But nobody prepared for this," Sacha said. "They didn't have an idea this was coming."

The mold count of 62,197 spores per cubic meter of air measured Thursday is the highest reading for mold in July recorded here since records were begun 13 years ago.

Nona Chapman takes the readings for the National Allergy Bureau on the roof of Magill Hall at Southeast Missouri State University. She says the predominant mold was Cladosporium, a ubiquitous dry mold.

That number is phenomenal, Sacha said. "I've seen 25,000 and 30,000, but I've never seen 60,000. It's a testament to the humidity."

Molds are saphrophytes, organisms that live on dead or decaying organic matter. They are found on many crops.

"When you see crops being harvested and see a black cloud above the combine, that's all mold," Sacha says.

The hope that rain might settle the situation is a false one. "Rain is like adding icing to the cake," Sacha said.

Molds love the dampness of Southeast Missouri. They can be found indoors, particularly in bathroom areas, and outdoors, especially in trees and grasses like milo and hay.

In an agricultural area, add heat as severe as Thursday's and you have a prescription for problems.

"The heat pops open the spores like popcorn," Sacha said.

He advises people who are having problems to keep their house closed up and the air conditioning on. "That and medication are about the only things you can do," he said.

The weather also has affected ragweed pollen, which usually doesn't appear until the second week of August. A few grains already are in the air.

The total pollen level of 13 still is not considered significant, but Sacha predicted the ragweed season will be "a real killer."