How many mold species

Typically, fusarium will grow in carpeting, wallpaper and other fabrics and materials. Fusarium mold is often pink, white or reddish in color and naturally grows on food products and in compost. Exposure to fusarium can cause skin infections as well as allergic reaction symptoms such as sore throat, running nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and dermatitis. Prolonged exposure to fusarium can cause other severe and life-threatening conditions such as bone infections or brain abscess.

Fusarium can produce toxins that are damaging to the nervous system and can potentially lead to hemorrhages and internal bleeding. Fusarium by nature will quickly spread from room to room.

If you notice it in one area of your home, examine the rest of the home thoroughly for signs of it elsewhere. Mucor is an allergenic form of mold that usually grows in thick patches. It is often white or greyish in color and grows quickly. It most often grows near air conditioning, HVAC systems and ducting due to moisture from condensation.

Old, damp carpets can also grow mucor spores. Mucor causes a range of health problems particularly affecting the respiratory system. When exposed to mucor, it can cause asthma or worsen existing asthma conditions. Mucor also causes difficulty breathing and flu-like symptoms including fever and malaise.

In very severe and unfortunate cases, someone who faces prolonged exposure to mucor can develop mucormycosis. Mucormycosis is a fungal infection that can damage the sinuses, lungs and even the brain. It can also infect the eyes and nose and eventually become systemic in the blood, digestion or renal systems.

For this reason, it is vitally important to contact mold remediation professional to handle the removal of mucor. Never inhale or handle mucor spores without mold remediation equipment and safety gear. Penicillin is an allergenic form of mold. It is easily recognizable by its characteristic blue or green colored surface with a velvety texture. Penicillin mold is often found in water-damaged homes and buildings. It is found in materials such as carpets, wallpapers, ducting and even in mattresses.

It spreads quickly from one area of the home to the next. Unfortunately, though penicillin is responsible for important antibiotic production and food processing capabilities, it is also the cause of terrible respiratory conditions when it grows indoors.

Penicillin spores can easily become airborne and travel throughout the home and can be inhaled by occupants, including pets and children. Penicillin exposure can cause pulmonary inflammation and asthma. When exposed to it for a longer time it can lead to chronic sinusitis. Because penicillin mold growth is commonly associated with damp and moist areas, it is critical to remedy any household leaks or water damage as soon as possible to prevent penicillin from recurring and spreading throughout your home.

It is a toxigenic type of mold that can also cause allergic reactions. Stachybotrys mold is dark greenish or black in color and has a slimy texture. Stachybotrys thrives in damp, wet areas with high humidity levels that maintain these environmental conditions for weeks. It is known for growing on cellulose material such as woods, cardboard, paper, hay or wicker. Stachybotrys exposure symptoms include difficulty breathing, sinusitis, fatigue and even depression.

Dull aches and pains in the mucous membranes of the sinuses are common among sufferers of black mold exposure. Stachybotrys is linked to neurological problems in children and pulmonary bleeding in infants.

If you have black mold in a home with children, it is important to remove children from the home and prevent their exposure to stachybotrys. Contact a mold remediation professional immediately to restore your home back to safety. Trichoderma is an allergenic mold type with five different subspecies. Trichoderma mold colonies grow rapidly as wooly-textured clusters and then become more compact over time.

It commonly grows in the home on wet surfaces including within wallpaper, carpet and other damp fabrics. It thrives in moist areas, and so you may also find it in air conditioning filters and HVAC system ducts where there is a buildup of condensation. Exposure to aspergillus may cause allergic reactions, lung infections and a specific type of infection known as aspergillosis.

Like aspergillus, penicillium is abundant in many everyday environments, but if trapped inside your home, it can cause asthmatic symptoms, bronchitis and other respiratory problems. Fusarium is a type of mold that is most commonly found in plant debris and soil, although it can also be found in very damp areas of your home such as underneath carpeting, inside drywall or foam insulation and in humidifier pans and HVAC systems.

Although quite rare, a serious eye infection called fusarium keratitis can result from exposure to fusarium spores. A well-known allergy-causing mold, alternaria is present in high amounts in many climate zones during the spring and summer. Although this type of mold is usually not found in building materials, it is can be present in the air inside your home and may also be found in electric cables, cardboard, canvas and other textiles.

The first step is to have your home professionally tested for mold. Extreme care should be taken when this organism is amplified indoors. Staphylococci Opportunistic pathogen. It can survive and grow in nasal secretions and on skin.

It produces many toxins that contribute to pathogenicity. Coagulase positive are considered potentially pathogenic. Streptomyces Generally non-pathogenic. Some species can cause infections in humans. It also produces potentially harmful mycotoxins. Odor characteristic of freshly tilled soil.

Important in the pharmaceutical industry. Trichoderma One of the most widespread soil fungi, Trichoderma grows in carpet, on unglazed ceramics, and on paper in damp homes. Some species produce metabolites related to trichothecenes, which can be toxic and may cause symptoms like those associated with Stachybotrys chartarum. It is also an allergen and may infect immunocompromised individuals. Ulocladium Isolated from soil, wood, and decaying plant material, Ulocladium grows on very wet walls and particleboard.

Because of its high water requirements, it is considered an excellent indicator of water damage. This genus is allergenic, contributing to the allergy load especially in those with Alternaria allergy. Wallemia Found worldwide in house dust, air samples, dry foodstuffs and soil. Wallemia attacks materials with low water activity is an allergen and may produce mycotoxins.

It is known to grow on materials with high salt content. Yeast Common in moist habitats and often able to grow at reduced oxygen levels.

This organism can cause allergies and can be an opportunistic pathogen. Skinnies Therapeutic Clothing. Home AllergyStore. Buildings that have been heavily damaged by flood waters should be assessed for structural integrity and remediated by experienced professionals.

Please note that the guidelines covered in this course were developed for damage caused by clean water not flood water, sewage, or other contaminated water. Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Mold does not have to be alive to cause an allergic reaction.

Dead or alive, mold can cause allergic reactions in some people. Allergic reactions to mold are common and can be immediate or delayed. Repeated or single exposure to mold, mold spores, or mold fragments may cause non-sensitive individuals to become sensitive to mold, and repeated exposure has the potential to increase sensitivity. Allergic responses include hay fever-like symptoms such as:.

Molds can cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, whether or not individuals are allergic to mold, molds can irritate:. Breathing in mold may also cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an uncommon disease that resembles bacterial pneumonia. In addition, mold exposure may result in opportunistic infections in persons whose immune systems are weakened or suppressed. When mold grows indoors, the occupants of a building may begin to report odors and a variety of symptoms including:.

These and other symptoms may be associated with exposure to mold. But all of these symptoms may be caused by other exposures or conditions unrelated to mold growth. Therefore, it is important not to assume that, whenever any of these symptoms occurs, mold is the cause.

Although mold is frequently found in damp buildings, it is not the only potential contaminant — biological contaminants other than mold, and non-biological contaminants are often present and may also cause health effects. Damp buildings may attract rodents and other pests. Damp or wet building components and furnishings may release chemicals indoors.