Joplin Tornado Fungus Strikes Family of Nationally Known Artist (ContributorNetwork)

Linda Lindquist-Baldwin is known for her belsnickles. For more than 25 years her figurines have adorned Christmas decorations and Halloween displays. She also has spring designs for bunnies and chickens for Easter.

Her brother is recovering from the Joplin tornado in Columbia at University of Missouri hospital. As part of Mark Lindquist's treatment are anti-fungal drugs while he recovers from his injuries and from pneumonia. The Springfield News-Leader reports he remains sedated.

Lindquist was working at a home for the developmentally disabled. His family didn't even know he had survived. It has been six weeks since the tornado destroyed over a quarter of the city. The CDC counts Lindquist as one of 12 people who have suffered from a fungal infection after the twister.

At least three people have died from the tornado who also had a massive fungal infection. In many cases, the survival rate of the rare mucormcosis is only 50 percent. Treatment includes intravenous anti-fungal medications and surgically removing parts of the wound.

Lindquist-Baldwin is celebrating 25 years of her Belsnickles. They are award-winning pieces are unique and are limited editions each season. The artist resides in McDonald County and is known for her charitable work in the area. The Humane Society and Crowder College have been recipients of her time and donations.

Belsnickles originated in Germany from the late 1800s to World War I. Their unique property is that they are covered in white flecks of mica to simulate snow covering the figures. They were originally meant to be Christmas decorations, but Lindquist-Baldwin expanded them into other seasons.

Toy Collector Magazine reports original belsnickles are hard to find. They were made of a clay-paper mixture or papier-mache. Today they are made of harder materials that are strong yet lightweight.

Lindquist-Baldwin has made modern versions that are just as cute as the originals. She first got the idea in 1986 when she bought a book at a yard sale for a nickel. The rest was history. She won several awards for individual figures and also for her philanthropy.

In addition to her Belsnickles, other lines include more holidays in Lindquist-Baldwin's pieces. Snowsnickles are snowmen. Broomsnickles are for Halloween and include ghosts and witches. Samsnickles are American patriotic pieces. Harsnickles are for Easter and the springtime.

Lindquist-Baldwin created her own company and became her own businesswoman in 2003. She holds annual holiday events in her hometown of Joplin, the city where she grew up. The Lindquist family is well-known in southwest Missouri and we all pray for their safety and quick recovery in their time of need.

William Browning, a lifelong Missouri resident, writes about local and state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Born in St. Louis, Browning earned his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Missouri. He currently resides in Branson.

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Joplin toll rises to 151; some suffer from fungus (AP)

JOPLIN, Mo. – The death toll from the tornado that destroyed much of Joplin has risen to 151, and three of the latest victims suffered from a rare fungal infection that can occur when dirt becomes embedded under the skin, authorities said Friday.

Jasper County Coroner Rob Chappel said the three had been hospitalized with the unusually aggressive infection sometimes found in survivors of other natural disasters. He said it was difficult to identify the fungus as a cause of death since the people infected also suffered other severe injuries.

"These people had multiple traumas, pneumonia, all kinds of problems," said Dr. Uwe Schmidt, an infectious disease specialist at Freeman Health System in Joplin. "It's difficult to say how much the fungal infections contributed to their demise."

Schmidt said his hospital treated five Joplin tornado victims for the infection, known as zygomycosis (zy'-goh-my-KOH'-sihs).

Jacqueline Lapine, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said the department has received reports of eight suspected deep-skin fungal infections among survivors of the May 22 twister. She said all of the victims had suffered multiple injuries and developed secondary wound infections.

Zygomycosis, also known as mucormycosis, is a sometimes-fatal infection that spreads rapidly and can be caused by soil or vegetative material becoming getting under the skin. It's more prevalent in people with weakened immune systems or untreated diabetes but can affect healthy people who get badly hurt.

Schmidt said he had seen only two cases of zygomycosis in his 30 years of practice, and both of those cases involved people with untreated diabetes.

Among the tornado survivors, some wounds that were stitched up had to be reopened because they had not been adequately cleaned, Schmidt said.

Overall infection numbers were not available. The health department in Springfield-Greene County, where some patients were treated, declined to release information about patients sickened by the fungus, citing patient privacy concerns.

The Springfield News-Leader reported that the department sent a memo Monday to area health providers warning them to be on the lookout for the infections.

In the aftermath of the tornado, Freeman Health System treated more than 1,700 patients. Doctors from St. John's Hospital, which was badly damaged by the twister, treated patients at makeshift facilities.

"These were very extensive wounds," Schmidt said. "They were treated in the emergency room as quickly as possible."

A week after the tornado, patients began arriving with fungal infections.

"We could visibly see mold in the wounds," Schmidt said. "It rapidly spread. The tissue dies off and becomes black. It doesn't have any circulation. It has to be removed."

Schmidt said the infection is sometimes seen in survivors of mass trauma such as the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia.

"This fungus invades the underlying tissue and actually invades the underlying blood vessels and cuts off the circulation to the skin," he said. "It's very invasive."

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Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com

View the original article here

Joplin toll rises to 151; some suffer from fungus (AP)

JOPLIN, Mo. – The death toll from the tornado that destroyed much of Joplin has risen to 151, and three of the latest victims suffered from a rare fungal infection that can occur when dirt becomes embedded under the skin, authorities said Friday.

Jasper County Coroner Rob Chappel said the three had been hospitalized with the unusually aggressive infection sometimes found in survivors of other natural disasters. He said it was difficult to identify the fungus as a cause of death since the people infected also suffered other severe injuries.

"These people had multiple traumas, pneumonia, all kinds of problems," said Dr. Uwe Schmidt, an infectious disease specialist at Freeman Health System in Joplin. "It's difficult to say how much the fungal infections contributed to their demise."

Schmidt said his hospital treated five Joplin tornado victims for the infection, known as zygomycosis (zy'-goh-my-KOH'-sihs).

Jacqueline Lapine, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said the department has received reports of eight suspected deep-skin fungal infections among survivors of the May 22 twister. She said all of the victims had suffered multiple injuries and developed secondary wound infections.

Zygomycosis, also known as mucormycosis, is a sometimes-fatal infection that spreads rapidly and can be caused by soil or vegetative material becoming getting under the skin. It's more prevalent in people with weakened immune systems or untreated diabetes but can affect healthy people who get badly hurt.

Schmidt said he had seen only two cases of zygomycosis in his 30 years of practice, and both of those cases involved people with untreated diabetes.

Among the tornado survivors, some wounds that were stitched up had to be reopened because they had not been adequately cleaned, Schmidt said.

Overall infection numbers were not available. The health department in Springfield-Greene County, where some patients were treated, declined to release information about patients sickened by the fungus, citing patient privacy concerns.

The Springfield News-Leader reported that the department sent a memo Monday to area health providers warning them to be on the lookout for the infections.

In the aftermath of the tornado, Freeman Health System treated more than 1,700 patients. Doctors from St. John's Hospital, which was badly damaged by the twister, treated patients at makeshift facilities.

"These were very extensive wounds," Schmidt said. "They were treated in the emergency room as quickly as possible."

A week after the tornado, patients began arriving with fungal infections.

"We could visibly see mold in the wounds," Schmidt said. "It rapidly spread. The tissue dies off and becomes black. It doesn't have any circulation. It has to be removed."

Schmidt said the infection is sometimes seen in survivors of mass trauma such as the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia.

"This fungus invades the underlying tissue and actually invades the underlying blood vessels and cuts off the circulation to the skin," he said. "It's very invasive."

___

Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com

View the original article here