It might not have occurred to you, but mold can exist even in some of the hottest climates, such as parts of the southwestern United States.  Just because this mold can exist there, however, does not mean that it is not a danger to human beings.  People who live in the deserts of the southwestern U.S. might not think that they are in any danger from mold due to the high temperatures and lack of rain, but the fact is that these areas are in just as much danger of mold and water damage as areas that get more rain and have more life-friendly temperatures. 

Coccidioides simmitis is a dangerous mold that lives in the western deserts of the United States and causes what has become known as “Valley Fever”.  This is a skin disease that can lead to death if it is left untreated for long enough and while this mold is located in the deserts of the southwestern United States and even Mexico, it is oddly absent from the deserts of other continents such as Asia, Africa, and Australia.

The reason that mold damage can be a huge problem in areas of desert such as those of Arizona and New Mexico is that residents sometimes use “swamp heaters” to cool down their homes and offices during the most hot and dry parts of the year.  Unfortunately, the downside to these will cause the indoor humidity to skyrocket and condensation ends up building on windows and any other cold surface.  Leaks can also occur where water pipes flow upward to the coolers on the rooftops and this can cause water damage to attics, ceilings, and walls. 

Water and air conditioning are very important in desert climates and so the possibility of air conditioning condensation leakage and plumbing leaks is pretty high.  Air conditioners and fans are used almost constantly and in some places, hot water heaters are not needed during the majority of the year because the water is hot when it comes out of the faucet.

Most of the mold insurance claims in the deserts of the United States are caused by water damage, even though most people think that desert climates do not have enough moisture to cause mold to become an issue.  With the presence of the mold that causes Valley Fever in the southwestern United States, if you live in a desert area, you should be extremely careful to make sure that water leaks in your home or business are taken care of very quickly and efficiently.

Emergency Water Restoration 

A food called red yeast rice in English has been a favorite dish in Asian countries for a long time and is a traditional part of Peking duck.  Traditional Chinese medicine has used the dish for over 1,000 years in order to help the body keep up a good circulatory system and heart.  In China, its use has been noted as far back as the Tang Dynasty of China back in 800 A.D.  There might be a good reason for this use, since recent research has shown that red yeast rice is quite good at assisting in lowering a person’s cholesterol.  Just what is red yeast rice? 

Red yeast rice is made by fermenting a mold called monascus purpureus on top of rice.  There is a unique process that is used to separate the naturally occurring ingredient called mevinolin and this somewhat similar to other drugs that doctors give their patients to fight high cholesterol like Lipitor and Zocor.  While everyone needs cholesterol in order to have a healthy life, having too much of it as most people know can lead to problems.  Our livers produce about eighty percent of the cholesterol that the body needs and the other twenty percent comes from the food that we eat.  What the red yeast rice does when you eat it is block the enzyme that exists in the liver to induce the production of cholesterol.  Unsaturated fatty acids in the red yeast rice could also possibly add to the beneficial attributes of it.

The possibility of its medical uses has only recently been noticed in western countries, even though it has been used in Asia for centuries.  An extract of one of its natural ingredients, mevinolin, is often sold over the counter as a dietary supplement of sorts to be used for controlling cholesterol.  You do not need a prescription for this supplement and some people are taking advantage of this. 

It is not recommended to eat red yeast rice or take the dietary supplement of mevinolin if you have already been prescribed a drug for high cholesterol such as Lipitor or Zocor. 

What about the mold that is used to make the dish?  Monascus purpureus is a purplish-red mold in the family Monascaceae and it is used mainly in Asian dishes for color, however it can also impart a pleasant flavor to the food, as well.

Wet Carpet Drying