First described by doctors treating patients in the metro New Orleans area symptoms include cough, sinus headache, congestion, runny nose, and sore throat, and pink eye.
The Louisiana Office of Public Health conducted a case-control study of emergency department visits in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The OPH distributed a questionnaire to patients seeking treatment for cough, sinus drip, sneezing, wheezing, chest congestion, swollen red and puffy eye(s) and sore throat.
"[2] Starting in 2008, Henry Glindmeyer, researcher and professor of pulmonary, critical care and environmental medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine is conducting a five-year study to determine if workers in New Orleans face risks from inhalant exposure to minute particles such as mold, fungi or bacteria.
The study is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, an agency of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is providing $1.86 million.