Indoor Mold Raises Breathing Risks

Abundant in the outdoor environment, on-average 10 varieties of mold grow inside the average home.  Richard Sharpe, from the University of Exeter Medical School (United Kingdom), and colleagues completed a meta-analysis of studies published on exposure to indoor fungi and asthma outcomes in children and adults. Cladosporium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, and Penicillium species were found to be present in higher concentrations in homes of asthmatic participants. Exposure to Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Cladosporium species were found to be associated with increased risk of reporting asthma symptoms by a limited number of studies. The presence of Cladosporium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, and Penicillium species increased the exacerbation of current asthma symptoms by 36% to 48%.  Observing that: “Longitudinal studies assessing increased exposure to indoor fungi before the development of asthma symptoms suggests that Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Cladosporium species pose a respiratory health risk in susceptible populations,” the study authors warn that: “Increased exacerbation of current asthma symptoms in children and adults were associated with increased levels of Penicillium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Alternaria species.”