We had a water leak in our home a year ago which occurred during a 5-week absence.  Our home underwent an expensive remediation ($30,000) that included removing moldy wallpaper and other repairs.  I have had a wide range of health problems since, including muscle spasms (treated with steroids), lesions on my legs, itching, and chronic cough.  Though not a smoker, I have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) with scarring on both lungs.  I am subject to chronic cough that has been unsuccessfully treated with antibiotics.  Blood tests indicate that I have Aspergillus fumigatus antibodies.  One of my six parrots has also tested positive for A. fumigatus.  We recently had our house tested for mold.  The testing company indicated that we have significant Stachybotrys growth in our home, with very limited Aspergillus.  Could Stachybotrys be causing my health problems?  -- J.R.

Your history of health problems since April 2000 is certainly a complicated one.  As I am not a physician, I can only give you answers that are relatively limited.

Aspergillus fumigatus infections are usually limited to immune-compromised individuals.  There are no indications that steroid therapy causes immuno-suppression. 

It is unusual for a nonsmoker to be diagnosed with COPD.  Lung scarring is usually associated with occupational exposures to inorganic dust or to organic dusts associated with agricultural operations.  A lung-scarring disease called Pigeon Fanciers’ Disease (PFD) may be of some significance relative to your particular situation.  PFD is associated with raising/breeding pigeons.  It is apparently associated with pigeon droppings and may be fungal in origin.  It is possible that a similar lung problem could be associated with the keeping of parrots. 

COPD and hypersensitivity lung diseases require many years of exposure before the disease syndrome begins to manifest itself.  As such, it does not seem probable that they would develop within a year of exposure to elevated mold, including Aspergillus and Stachybotrys.

As your house tested positive for Stachybotrys, it is evident that remediation measures were not adequate or that re-infestation has taken place.  Though Stachybotrys  can cause a variety of allergenic-type responses and produces potent mycotoxins, there is virtually no scientific evidence to indicate that it poses any unique exposure risk to healthy adults.  Nevertheless, because of the potent mycotoxins present, it is prudent to avoid exposure to even limited infestations. 

Most mold testing companies use testing methods that do not adequately measure airborne Aspergillus.  As such, low Aspergillus counts do not indicate low Aspergillus exposures.  Mold tests using agar media should include a medium called DG-18 that favors the growth of Aspergillus species.  If the testing company did not use DG-18 or an equivalent testing medium, you ca not be confident of Aspergillus test results.

June 7, 2001