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Students at the University of Maryland are concerned that mold problems in their dorms are linked to the death of a freshman who succumbed to the same virus that killed 11 New Jersey children.
Olivia Paregol, 18, was in her first semester at College Park when, at the beginning of the semester, she developed a cough, which then became worse with pneumonia. She died Sunday at the Johns Hopkins Hospital of an adenovirus, which causes breathing problems.
Jessica Thompson told CBS News that she and her roommate had found mold on their shoes and clothes in their dorm in August – and that the fungus had made them sick.
"You can not sleep at night because the pillow is right next to the mold and you're up all night to cough," Thompson said at the exit. "We had to go home on weekends and everything would be fine at home. We would come back and sniff and cough, then we would have headaches. "
After the roommates repeatedly alerted university officials, the couple – along with about 500 other students – were transferred to temporary housing while the school was working to clean the dormitories, Thompson said.
"They had a dehumidifier installed, and the heat was finally turned on and the mold seemed to have dissipated, but it has been a good month and a half," she said at the exit.
Olivia's father, Ian Paregol, also said that his daughter's bedroom was moldy.
Paregol told CBS that her daughter had already suffered from Crohn's disease and a weakened immune system.
However, several weeks after the fall semester, her worsening respiratory problems brought her to the campus health center.
"It did not help the disease," said Paregol. "I think it's a really fair statement. We do not know yet that there is a causal link, but it did not help things. "
There were a total of six cases of adenovirus on campus – including Olivia – on Tuesday, the station reported. Campus officials learned of the existence of the first case on November 1st.
"I want other kids to make sure they do not get sick," Paregol said. "I mean … apparently, there were two sick kids when we walked in, right? It was the 13th. I would have liked to have this information. And now, there are three other sick children.
Dr. David McBride, head of the university's university health center, told reporters that, while the university acknowledged that the adenovirus had affected some of his students, she did not "want to arouse unnecessary anxiety ".
"What we have done is that we have stepped up our cleanup efforts, that we are on alert here and that we are working to be diligent in following up on cases where students are sick, " he said.
Local and state health authorities are investigating the epidemic, the university said.
Mold can cause respiratory symptoms, including wheezing and a stuffy nose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Earlier this fall, 11 children at the Wanaque Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey died of adenovirus.
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