Mold and human health: separating the wheat from the chaff.
The term "mold" is utilized to define the ubiquitous fungal species commonly found in household dust and observed as visible multicellular filaments. Several well-defined human diseases are known to be caused or exacerbated by mold or by exposure to their byproducts. Among these, a solid connection has been established with infections, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and asthma. In the past decades, other less-defined and generally false conditions have also been ascribed to mold. We will herein review and critically discuss the available evidence on the influence of mold on human health.
Pettigrew
H David
HD
Division of Rheumatology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility, 451 Health Sciences Drive, Suite 6510, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Selmi
Carlo F
CF
Teuber
Suzanne S
SS
Gershwin
M Eric
ME
D005658:Fungi / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009181:Mycoses