Joseph Brewer

Joseph H. Brewer, MD, is an Infectious Disease physician with a interest in the effect of mycotoxins from mold on chronic illness. His patients include those with HIV/AIDS, Lyme disease, ME/CFS, and mold toxicity.

Notable studies

• 2015, Intranasal antifungal therapy in patients with chronic illness associated with mold and mycotoxins: An observational analysis (FULL TEXT)
• 2014, Chronic illness associated with mold and mycotoxins: is naso-sinus fungal biofilm the culprit? (FULL TEXT)
• 2013, Detection of Mycotoxins in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (FULL TEXT)

  Abstract - Over the past 20 years, exposure to mycotoxin producing mold has been recognized as a significant health risk. Scientific literature has demonstrated mycotoxins as possible causes of human disease in water-damaged buildings (WDB). This study was conducted to determine if selected mycotoxins could be identified in human urine from patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Patients (n = 112) with a prior diagnosis of CFS were evaluated for mold exposure and the presence of mycotoxins in their urine. Urine was tested for aflatoxins (AT), ochratoxin A (OTA) and macrocyclic trichothecenes (MT) using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA). Urine specimens from 104 of 112 patients (93%) were positive for at least one mycotoxin (one in the equivocal range). Almost 30% of the cases had more than one mycotoxin present. OTA was the most prevalent mycotoxin detected (83%) with MT as the next most common (44%). Exposure histories indicated current and/or past exposure to WDB in over 90% of cases. Environmental testing was performed in the WDB from a subset of these patients. This testing revealed the presence of potentially mycotoxin producing mold species and mycotoxins in the environment of the WDB. Prior testing in a healthy control population with no history of exposure to a WDB or moldy environment (n = 55) by the same laboratory, utilizing the same methods, revealed no positive cases at the limits of detection.

Clinic location

Kansas City, Missouri

Talks & interviews

• 2014, "Mold Toxicity: An Important Unrecognized Cause of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue: New Research with Dr. Joseph Brewer" on Voice America Health and Wellness channel/The Cutting Edge of Health and Wellness Today
• 2014, Is Chronic Fatigue just undiagnosed mold infection? Interview with Dr. Joe Brewer by Dr. Ed Park (Part 1) (Part 2)

Online presence

• PubMed

Learn more

• Curriculum Vitae

mycotoxin "a poisonous substance produced by a fungus and especially a mold"

chronic illness any long-term illness, regardless of the severity. Chronic illnesses are typically incurable, requiring long-term management.

mycotoxin "a poisonous substance produced by a fungus and especially a mold"

enzyme a substance produced by a living organism which acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.

assay 1. (verb) analysis (as of an ore or drug) to determine the presence, absence, or quantity of one or more components. 2. (noun) In biochemistry, any laboratory protocol used to test a sample for one or more qualities.

chronic fatigue (CF) - Persistent and abnormal fatigue is a symptom, not an illness. It may be caused by depression, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome or many other illnesses. The term "chronic fatigue" should never be confused with the disease chronic fatigue syndrome.