South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - 28 fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals confirmed

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - some are pregnant or recently delivered mothers - several fatalities reported

Absolutely amazing. Amazing detective work as well.

Please send to ProMED.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2940996

Mystery malady traced to fluid in humidifiers

September 01, 2011
Scientists may have determined the cause of a mystery lung malady that sickened pregnant women across the country and killed at least four this year: chemicals used in home humidifiers.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced yesterday the tentative results of a study on the unidentified scourge that caused pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis, or scarring of the lungs, mostly in pregnant women. It said a sterilizer used with home humidifiers was a ¡°risk factor¡± in the disease, and advised people to stop using the chemicals until the final results of the study are announced in the next three months.

¡°A cause-and-effect relationship between sterilizers and the disease is not definite at this point but for the sake of the people¡¯s health, we decided to hold a press briefing and advise people not to use sterilizers for humidifiers,¡± said Kwon Jun-wook, director of the division of communicable disease control at the KCDC.

Owners of humidifiers, which are commonly used in the dry Korean winters, are instructed to use the sterilizers to prevent propagation of micro-organisms in the devices.

The KCDC said it studied 18 of a total of 28 infected patients stricken with the mysterious malady and conducted epidemiologic investigations led by Professor Lee Moo-song of Seoul Asan Medical Center.

The experts and the Ministry of Health and Welfare came to the conclusion that the inhaling of sterilizer fumes may have caused the disease that has killed seven people since 2004. Since last May, eight patients were diagnosed with the disease, seven of them pregnant women and one a man in his 40s. Four of the pregnant woman have died since May.

Kwon explained that pregnant women were more prone to the disease because ¡°respiration volume for pregnant women increases by 30 percent¡± and that ¡°they tend to spend more time at home where they are exposed to such a condition more than other people.¡±

The odds ratio of humidifier sterilizers causing the damage to the lungs came out as 47.3, which means that patients who used sterilizers for humidifiers had a 47.3 times higher risk of getting the disease compared to a control group, according to the KCDC.

The 18 patients who were studied were confirmed to have used humidifiers for an average of four months a year since three years ago and mixed sterilizers into the water used in the humidifiers. An average of one bottle was used per month, according to the KCDC.

After the KCDC¡¯s announcement, manufacturers of sterilizers jointly decided to remove the sterilizers from sale.

¡°The KCDC didn¡¯t specify that the sterilizers for humidifiers are the cause [of the unidentified disease],¡± said a statement from the manufacturers. ¡°However, as we believe the health and safety of our customers is important, we have reluctantly decided to take the sterilizers off the market.¡± The group also said that it will ¡°actively cooperate with the KCDC to sort out the exact casual relationship.¡±

The KCDC said it will continue studies by conducting animal tests with the chemicals. It said that both the KCDC and the Health Ministry agreed that the public should be notified despite the incompleteness of the study.

¡°We are advising people to refrain from using sterilizers in water for humidifiers and not the humidifier itself,¡± the KCDC said. It also recommended consumers ¡°change the water in humidifiers every day and wash its water bottle according to instructions instead of using sterilizers.¡±

The Health Ministry said it will designate sterilizers for humidifiers as a nonpharmaceutical product under the law so their safety can be monitored. It added that it will strengthen safety verification of all products that produce substances that people inhale.


By Yim Seung-hye [sharon@joongang.co.kr]

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

http://www.koreaherald.com/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110831000717

‘Humidifier disinfectants might have caused fatal lung disease’
2011-08-31 20:14

Health authorities said Wednesday that disinfectants used to clean humidifiers might have caused a fatal lung disease which killed four people, including two pregnant women.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised people to refrain from using humidifier disinfectants in a bid to protect them from the deadly pneumonic diseases.

Humidifiers are widely used during the dry seasons of winter and spring, and disinfectants are mixed with water replenished to the water tank of the device.

Center official Kwon Jun-Wook told the news briefing that a group of medical experts have reached a provisional conclusion that a substance in humidifier disinfectants is likely to have caused the lung disease when inhaled.

However, the authorities refused to identify the substance, saying a thorough investigation is still underway.

Eight cases of acute pulmonary disease of unknown origin were reported so far this year, of which seven of them were women. Four of them, including two pregnant women, died while three survived through lung transplant operations. Only one recovered naturally.

Humidifier disinfectants are used in other parts of the world but no fatalities due to them had yet been reported.

Analysis of Seoul patients found that users of humidifier disinfectants are about 47.3 times higher at risk of catching the illness than non-users. The study was conducted by questioning and observing the lifestyle of 18 patients out of 28 since 2004 and all of them were said to have used humidifiers.

“The substance is used in several other products such as wet tissues, cosmetic goods, shampoo and others. But we can assure you that the risk factor is valid only when the substance is inhaled since the disease involved multiple disorders in the lungs,” Kwon said.

He said pregnant women to were more susceptible to the disease is because they tend to stay indoors and use humidifiers.

“Also when pregnant, women tend to breathe in 30 percent more air than normal. Therefore, the amount of substance they are exposed to would be larger than others,” Kwon said, adding that the conclusion results from a three-month investigation.

The authorities said they will designate humidifier disinfectants as quasi-drugs whose safety will be closely monitored by the Korea Food and Drug Administration.

The KCDC advised people to refrain from cleaning humidifiers with disinfectants. “We think precaution principle is extremely important,” Kwon said.

The center advised people to change water in the water tank of the humidifiers every day and cleanse them with neutral detergent then rinse with water more than three times.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldm.com)

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hK2h68nOMxXDYRWnC2ypdg0rf7JA?docId=CNG.53500a5d880436b437f3a6ac68dae4b5.771

Steriliser blamed for mysterious S. Korean deaths
(AFP) ? 2 hours ago
SEOUL ? A sterilising agent for home humidifiers probably caused the mysterious deaths of four pregnant women, an official with a South Korean health agency said Thursday.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) began investigating after 28 cases of lung disease with unknown causes were reported since 2004, many of them this year and involving pregnant women.

Four of the pregnant patients died earlier this year.

The agency said tests showed that a harmful substance in a steriliser -- used by all the patients in their humidifiers -- could seriously damage lung cells.

Tests showed that those who added the steriliser to their humidifiers were 47.3 times more likely to get lung damage than those who did not, KCDC said in a statement.

"The odds ratio of 47.3, clinically speaking, is exceptionally high and rare," Youn Seung-Ki, a senior KCDC official, told AFP on Thursday.

KCDC refused to identify the harmful substance in the steriliser, which it said was widely used in other goods like shampoo and cosmetics, saying it could not verify whether the substance was also harmful through skin contact.

"We still need more tests to reach a concrete final conclusion. But we have decided, as a precaution, to urge people against using humidifier steriliser and companies from selling the products," it said in a statement.

Major steriliser producers had agreed to suspend sales until the final result of the agency's probe comes out in about three months, Youn said.

"The patients added the steriliser whenever they replaced water in the humidifiers and used a whole bottle (of steriliser) a month on average," KCDC said.

South Korean households often use humidifiers during the long, cold and dry winter.

The agency said pregnant women spend more time resting at home, increasing their exposure to air from the humidifiers. Women also inhale about 30 percent more air after childbirth, meaning they could be more at risk at that time.

About 600,000 units of humidifier steriliser worth two billion won ($1.8 million) are sold every year in South Korea. Makers of the product say it helps remove bacteria and dirt from the water before it is released into the air.

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2011/09/follow-up-on-koreas-mystery-pneumonia.html

Thursday, September 01, 2011
Follow Up On Korea?s `Mystery Pneumonia?

# 5801


Nearly 4 months ago, in The Korean `Mystery? Pneumonia, I wrote about confusing, incomplete, and sometimes contradictory reports regarding a number of pregnant women in a Seoul Hospital with a `mystery? respiratory virus.



At the time, there were 8 pregnant women, and 1 man - who came from different hospitals and clinics across Korea ? suffering from an unusually aggressive (and rapidly fulminating) form of Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) ? a scaring and stiffening of lung tissue without a known cause that normally takes months or years to manifest.



For more background on this story, FluTrackers has maintained this extensive thread with more than 120 entries to date.



Although this disease was being referred to as a `mystery virus? in the media, its exact etiology (viral, bacterial, fungal, or environmental) was unknown.



After some impressive epidemiological detective work, the KCDC (Korea Centers For Disease Control) believes they have found a link between the use of a specific type of sterilizing fluid used in home humidifiers and this illness.



While not yet able to establish a firm cause-and-effect relationship between exposure to fumes from this sterilizer and this respiratory disease, they have found that those who were exposed to it in their home humidifier were 47 times more likely to develop the condition than a control group.



The exact chemical used in this sterilizing solution was not specified by the KCDC. For now they are urging the public not to use chemical disinfectants in their home humidifiers, and to change the water daily and clean them with detergent instead.



The KCDC said that pregnant women were likely more susceptible to this lung damage because they spent more time at home resting, and because they tended to take deeper breaths.



A full report from the KCDC is expected in the coming months.



A couple of news items on this story include:


Mystery malady traced to fluid in humidifiers ? Korea JoongAng Daily
Steriliser blamed for mysterious S. Korean deaths ? AFP

Posted by Michael Coston at 7:31 AM

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

The details on which patients survived and which did not are below:

http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/08/31/2011083100837.html

Idiopathic lung, humidifier seems due to fungicide
Reporter Lisa Lee

Input: 31/08/2011 11:03 / Revision: 08/31/2011 13:09
Centers for Disease Control last May of cause lung damage caused by an unknown cause of maternal mortality was appointed humidifier fungicides.

In May, unidentified group of six pregnant women hospitalized with pneumonia and died on an epidemiological survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and the "is not a pandemic virus is not a disease," he said. However, the exact cause has not been identified.

Centers for Disease Control from 2004 to 2011 by the medical institution A with idiopathic lung injury, 18 patients admitted to the survey, using a humidifier fungicides idiopathic pulmonary 47.3 times higher probability of damage have found that the 31 days said.

Centers for Disease Control and must refrain from using a humidifier disinfectant manufacturers to refrain from the humidifier has recommended the release of disinfectant.

Today's announcement, Health and Human Services a "designated as quasi-humidifiers and disinfectants safely ignore for the supervision of the manufacturer or building management systems, and will determine the safety," said " Knowledge Economy , Ministry of consultation such as inhalation of the product safety management, all possible I'll check, "he said.

Centers for Disease Control and the "future humidifier bacteria of animal inhalation experiments I'll go further," said "Animal toxicity studies are expected to take at least three months," he said.

With this announcement, the domestic market for one billion won in the disinfectant known humidifier seems to be hit.

[Idiopathic lung injury deaths journal]

▲ 2011 in Seoul in late April = A hospital in ICU patients with acute respiratory failure itttara hospitalized pregnant women.
Received a request with the survey reported.

▲ 〃 5 월 8 days = 6 patients unexplained lung check.

▲ 〃 5 월 10 days = 34 years of inpatient death for women (April 12 hospitalizations).
The first recorded deaths due to unknown causes pyesonsangeuro.

▲ 〃 5 월 11 days = tests mibalgyeon [rule out?] directly related to the pandemic pathogen.
Health authorities, as non-provisional conclusions influenza infection.

▲ 〃 5 월 26 days = 32-year-old woman died (April 21 hospitalizations).
30-year-old female hospital (May 13 hospitalizations).

▲ 〃 6 월 10 days = 34-year-old woman died (May 6 admission).

▲ 〃 6 월 12 days = first confirmed cases in family outbreaks.

▲ 〃 6 월 14 days = 36-year-old woman died (April 16 hospitalizations).

▲ 〃 6 월 20 days = after 43-year-old male lung transplant hospital (April 1 admission).

▲ 〃 7 월 2 days = 29 years old women after lung transplant hospital (April 12 hospitalizations).

▲ 〃 8 월 22 days = 39-year-old woman after a lung transplant hospital (April 26 hospitalizations).

▲ 〃 8 월 31 days = Ministry of Health released results of epidemiological studies. Humidifiers fungicides estimated risk factors.

[Emily]

Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

From post #122

The authorities said they will designate humidifier disinfectants as quasi-drugs whose safety will be closely monitored by the Korea Food and Drug Administration.

I'm glad they are doing that. This must be a powerful chemical if it had this effect just from residual traces from cleaning, rather than an additive to the water used to humidify rooms.

I'm wondering now if a chemical like this is being used in charcoal/zeolite filters in air cleaners some people have been complaining about here in the U.S. Some people think it is a glue or plastic odor, but I had a unit like this and the fumes were definitely coming from the filter.

The fumes make some people dizzy, (me included), or are at least noxious enough so people are out-gassing the units for days on balconies prior to using them inside.

There should be more oversight of chemicals used in devices like this.

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=120622&code=Ne2&category=2

Updated : September 21, 2011

Humidifier Sterilizer Kills 5 Infants in Korea



Recent research shows five infants and one woman who recently gave birth to a child DIED of lung diseases in Korea due to humidifier sterilizers.
The Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health revealed cases of infant patients between the age of one and four who died from acute respiratory diseases or pneumonitis after being exposed to humidifier disinfectants while asleep.
Also, a woman died from adult respiratory distress syndrome two months after being hospitalized while another woman is currently under treatment for pneumonitis after using such sterilizers.
The center says excessive use of the sterilizing chemicals can be life-threatening and adds that the actual number of infections caused by these disinfectants is expected to be higher.

SEP 21, 2011

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

This does not appear to be a Korean source.

http://www.businessghana.com/portal/news/index.php?op=getNews&news_cat_id=&id=152830

Gov't dismisses direct link between sterilizer and lung ailment
News Date: 20th September 2011


The government on Tuesday dismissed an attempt by an environmental group to blame a sterilizer used in household humidifiers for the recent outbreak of a mysterious lung disease that has claimed at least five lives so far, saying more tests are still needed to establish the link.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) earlier said the sterilizer may have been the cause of the disease, at least in the latest case that affected 17 people, mostly young mothers who had just given birth and their infants.

An environmental group claimed there have been other similar cases where humidifier sterilizers must have been the main cause of the lung damage.

The KCDC countered that there may have been other similar cases, but that it was still too early to establish a direct link between sterilizers and the disease.

"The KCDC is conducting a study to find a causal link between the two, which includes reviewing all similar cases filed since 1997 when sterilizers were put on the market," Kwon Jun-wook, a KCDC official, said.

The official said the cases cited by the environmental group will also be reviewed as long as they have the clinical records for the alleged cases.

[Emily]

Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

A man in Korea posts here that he thinks that his wife and baby had a bad reaction to the chemicals added to a humidifier:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?p=2693905

This article says that KCDC will do a formal study for 3 months:

http://english.cntv.cn/20110831/110988.shtml

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

It seems clear that the KCDC has gotten this one right now. I am moving this thread to the "Other Respiratory Diseases" forum, assuming it is okay with everyone else here, as it seems clear that this outbreak is not the result of influenza or other viral infection.

I still await a very interesting ProMED post...

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20111101000817

A civic group on Tuesday alleged that a total of 18 people have died from a mysterious strain of pulmonary disease caused by a humidifier sterilizer, a death toll far higher than the government estimated. The activists disclosed 50 additional damage reports and urged the administration to ban the sales of the sterilizers. According to the Asian Citizens? Center for Environment and Health, a total of 18 people -- one fetus, 14 infants, two children and one pregnant woman -- are very likely to have died of the pulmonary infection caused by the sterilizers. ?The government and civic activists are conducting animal tests separately to verify the facts. But we are sure that inhaling evaporated sterilizers and consequent health risks are closely related,? said Prof. Lim Jong-han of Inha University School of Medicine. ?The test will only show to what extent problem agents must have damaged people?s health,? he added, calling for the government to issue recall orders for all humidifier sterilizers and control them from the manufacturing stage. Currently, there is no regulation on the humidifier sterilizer. Kang Chang-ho, a member of the victims? group, claimed that the risk of the sterilizer was forewarned long ago. ?Back in 1998, a gastroenterology academia raised the issue and called for thorough investigation into their correlations. It seems that similar accidents happened at that time,? he said. The sterilizers drew public attention when the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that a group of medical experts have reached a provisional conclusion that a substance in humidifier disinfectant, when inhaled, is 47.3 times more likely to have caused the lung disease in August. The government acknowledged six related deaths. ?The very small water particles emitting from the humidifier easily reach deep into the lung. If chemical or other harmful materials are carried by the particles, the damage takes place directly to the lung,? said ACCEH in its press release. ?That is why large hospitals refrain from using humidifiers, though controlling the humidity in the ward is essential in medical care,? it said, calling for the government to disclose its relevant test results in the near future.

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

http://www.promedmail.org/

Published Date: 2011-11-10 09:03:39
Subject: PRO/EDR> Pulmonary fibrosis - South Korea (04): (Seoul) RFI
Archive Number: 20111110.3331

PULMONARY FIBROSIS - SOUTH KOREA (04): (SEOUL) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** ********************

A ProMED-mail post

http://www.promedmail.org

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases

http://www.isid.org

[1]Date: Sun 6 Nov 2011Source: The Liberty Times [edited] [in Korean, trans., edited]http://iservice.libertytimes.com.tw/liveNews/news.php?no=564208&type=%E5%9C%8B%E9%9A%9B


South Korean Health and Welfare Ministry Disease Control Division
confirmed on 4 Nov 2011 that sterilizing agents added to humidifiers
were the cause of a lung disease cluster and strongly urged people not
use such agents with humidifiers.

[The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- KCDC]
reported that investigations had shown that antiseptics used with
humidifiers were highly associated with a number of lung injury cases.
Therefore, in September 2011, they conducted experiments using mice
(rats?), allowing experimental animals to inhale antiseptics from
humidifiers. Necropsy of these animals showed pulmonary fibrosis
similar to those found in humans.

An expert panel will convene shortly to discuss the association
between these antiseptics and disease. Once the association has been
confirmed, sales of the antiseptics for humidifiers will be banned.
Because humidifier use is increased in the fall and winter, Health and
Welfare Ministry strongly urges to discontinue the sale and use of
these agents.

The report pointed out that a cluster of lung disease of unknown cause
was reported in April 2011, causing panic. Disease Control Division
reported in August 2011 that antiseptics or cleaners for humidifiers
were likely to be associated with lung disease.

Korean news reports that since August 2011, antiseptics for
humidifiers have been taken off the shelves. It is hard to find these
agents on the market now.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Angela Huang

******
[2]
Date: Thu 1 Sep 2011
Source: Google, Agence France-Presse (AFP) report [edited]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hK2h68nOMxXDYRWnC2ypdg0rf7JA?docId=CNG.53500a5d880436b437f3a6ac68dae4b5.771

Steriliser blamed for mysterious South Korean deaths
----------------------------------------------------
A sterilising agent for home humidifiers probably caused the
mysterious deaths of 4 pregnant women, an official with a South Korean
health agency said Thursday [1 Sep 2011].

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) began
investigating after 28 cases of lung disease with unknown causes were
reported since 2004, many of them this year [2011] and involving
pregnant women, 4 of whom died earlier this year.

The agency said tests showed that a harmful substance in a steriliser
-- used by all the patients in their humidifiers -- could seriously
damage lung cells.

Tests showed that those who added the steriliser to their humidifiers
were 47.3 times more likely to get lung damage than those who did not,
KCDC said in a statement.

"The odds ratio of 47.3, clinically speaking, is exceptionally high
and rare," Youn Seung-Ki, a senior KCDC official, told AFP on Thursday
[1 Sep 2011].

KCDC refused to identify the harmful substance in the steriliser,
which it said was widely used in other goods like shampoo and
cosmetics, saying it could not verify whether the substance was also
harmful through skin contact.

"We still need more tests to reach a concrete final conclusion. But we
have decided, as a precaution, to urge people against using humidifier
steriliser and companies from selling the products," it said in a
statement.

Major steriliser producers had agreed to suspend sales until the final
result of the agency's probe comes out in about 3 months, Youn said.

"The patients added the steriliser whenever they replaced water in the
humidifiers and used a whole bottle (of steriliser) a month on
average," KCDC said.

South Korean households often use humidifiers during the long, cold,
and dry winter.

The agency said pregnant women spend more time resting at home,
increasing their exposure to air from the humidifiers. Women also
inhale about 30 percent more air after childbirth, meaning they could
be more at risk at that time.

About 600 000 units of humidifier steriliser worth 2 billion won (USD
1.8 million) are sold every year in South Korea. Makers of the product
say it helps remove bacteria and dirt from the water before it is
released into the air.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail


[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of South Korea can be seen at
http://healthmap.org/r/1qmT. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

[An antiseptic, or disinfectant for humidifiers in this case must be
of some chemical component. The article in [2] mentions that the
substance is used in shampoos and cosmetics. The most frequent
compound that I can think of is sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS or NaDS),
sodium laurilsulfate, or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). It is generally
used as an agent for lather, as in soap, or as a degreaser for
components such as engine cleaners. They are often mixed with coconut
or palm oils or other cheap oils for mixture in various domestic
products.

SLS has been effectively used as a microbicide. It is believed to be
effective against a number of viruses, including HIV.

Please understand, I am NOT saying this is the substance being used in
these humidifiers, I am only suggesting it as a possibility based on
information in the article.

We would appreciate some information regarding the mystery substance
in the cleaner, or antiseptic used in these humidifiers. - Mod.TG]

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

I don't think this is the chemical suspected in the ProMED post.

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2011111475918

Lethal humidifier sterilizers


NOVEMBER 14, 2011 05:03
In the American TV drama ?CSI,? forensic investigators catch criminals by analyzing a bullet?s trajectory or tracing an insect or plant attached to a victim?s body. In another American drama ?House? about an eccentric physician, a medical team begins its work by finding the cause of an infection at a patient?s residence. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says humidifier sterilizers are the cause of lung damage that led to the deaths of nine infants and pregnant women, including four pregnant women in April and May.

A humidifier sterilizer containing PHMG and PHG made the lungs of a mouse swell and made the animal difficult to breathe, the same symptoms as those who died from lung damage suffered. The safety test for humidifier sterilizers should have been conducted since they are inhaled by humans. Yet no safety test was conducted and led to the deaths. The manufacturers of humidifier sterilizers and related organizations should be held accountable as they either failed to recognize the dangers to human health or took the threat lightly.

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=122499&code=Ne2&category=2

lth Ministry Faults Six Humidifier Disinfectants for Lung Damage



Thank you for staying with us,
Health authorities in Korea have confirmed that, sterilizers used in household humidifiers, are the source of recent cases involving unknown acute respiratory diseases.
According to the health ministry today, lab results pointed to a relation between the lung damage that claimed the lives of several Koreans and SIX humidifier disinfectant products.
The six are,Oxy Sacsac, Cefu, Wiselect, Choeun Sangpoom, At-organic, and Clean-up.
The ministry added that it called on other ministries to cooperate in the recalling process of the six humidifier sterilizers beginning next Tuesday.

NOV 11, 2011

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Re: South Korea - Patients reportedly with "mysterious" respiratory illness - several fatalities reported - exposure to toxic humidifier chemicals suspected

http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20111114000676

Patients overused humidifier-sterilizers?
2011-11-14 20:17

Victims said they used disinfectants throughout winter or while sleeping in enclosed spaces


Patients believed to have fallen ill because of humidifier-sterilizers had used the agents excessively over a long period of time, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.

According to its latest report, 18 patients who have been treated for lung inflammation at Asan Medical Center said they used an average of 820 milliliters of sterilizers every month.

The amount is equivalent to double the industry recommendation of 10 ml a day. The average period of use was 4.5 months a year for 3.4 years, the report said.

The respondents said they were concerned that the use of unsterilized humidifiers could damage their health and had used large amounts of sterilizer to keep the devices clean.

The sterilizers distributed here are mixed with water and vaporized in the air for a long period of time. Six of them use polyhexamethylene guanidine phosphate or Oligo 2-(2-ethoxy) ethoxyethyl guanidinium chloride. The chemicals are believed to have caused inflammation of the lungs.

?Many of the patients started using the sterilizers because they use humidifiers throughout the winter when they were pregnant or after giving birth. Some men used it to soothe their respiratory diseases that get worse in a dry environment,? the report wrote.

?Most of them used the agent during sleep but some used it all day long. Since it was winter, many of the patients tend to keep the door closed, which could have concentrated the sterilizers in the air,? it added.

A total of 28 people are presumed to have died of the disease, of which six have been acknowledged by the government. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has ordered a recall of six brands on the market.

Meanwhile, a government-affliated agency has come under fire for certifying one of the recalled sterilizers as safe.

The health ministry said Monday that one of the brands ordered for a recall, Gaseupgi Clean up, gained the Korea Certification Mark by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, an affiliate of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

?Before, humidifier-sterilizers were classified as industrial product, which are exempt from tests on human respiratory organs,? said a health official.

The health ministry said earlier that all humidifier-sterilizers will be designated quasi-drugs subject to monitoring and regulation by the Korea Food and Drug Administration.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldm.com)